Adsorption and Electrosorption

AdsorptionSynthesis and characterization of materials with high capacity for adsorption or electrosorption to be applied for water and wastewater treatment, and recovery of molecules of commercial interest. Examples of materials developed in our group include magnetic adsorbents, activated carbons, and zeolites, applied for toxic metal and organic pollutants removal and caffeic acid recovery from effluents.

In the case of electrosorption (capacitive deionization), we develop activated carbons with customized properties for application in desalination and water softening.

Ongoing Projects

  • Development of a radial flow capacitive deionization cell for water softening
  • Surface chemistry customization of a commercial activated carbon felt aiming asymmetric electrodes for capacitive deionization
  • Adsorptive separation of CO2 from natural gas

Concluded Projects

  • Electrochemical recovery of lithium using faradaic electrodes supported in carbon felt (2024) – IMDEA-Energy (Spain)
  • Development of a brackish water desalinator (2023) - CNPq
  • Development of new solutions for the treatment industrial effluents containing phenolic compounds (2023) – CNPq/Opersan Inc.
  • Development of an electrochemical cell for capacitive deionization (2023) - FAPESP
  • Development and characterization of a new activated carbon from crude glycerol for adsorption of phenolic compounds (2022) - FAPESP
  • Development of intercalation electrode materials for water desalination (2022) - CAPES
  • Capacitive deionization desalination: Development of new electrodes and process optimization (2017) - FAPESP
  • Preparation and characterization of activated carbon from biomass wastes for application in capacitive deionization desalination (2016) – Caroline Foundation (Spain)
  • Capacitive deionization technology for water softening (2016) - CNPq
  • Desalination using capacitive deionization technology (2016) - CNPq
  • Desalination using capacitive deionization technology applying potential pulses (2013) - FAPESP
  • Using sugarcane bagasse ash for adsorption of phenolic compounds from oil industry (2012) - CNPq
  • Magnesium incorporation in the SIZ-2 structure by ionothermic method and its application for ion exchange (2010) - CNPq
  • Development of an adsorption procedure for metal ions removal from UFSCar laboratory effluents using conducting polymers (2009) - UFSCar
  • Production of aluminophosphates nanoparticles by nonthermal method for ion Exchange applications (2009) - CNPq