Bio-derived and Bio-inspired Advanced Materials for Sustainable Industries (VALUED)
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: Chemical Engineering
Abstract
The UK Government recently set targets for "net zero emissions" and "zero waste" as well as a 10 Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution. Even so, the UK currently sources, processes and deploys advanced materials based on unsustainable practices, including the use of fossil fuels and scarce, geologically hindered raw materials. This contributes to over 30% of the UK CO2 emissions, especially considering the import of raw precursors and materials.
Our vision is to build our most important functional materials from bio-based resources which are locally available. These materials will lower CO2 emissions, helping the UK to reach the targeted zero emissions by 2050 while boosting high-performance, locally available technologies and creating new industries. They will form the cornerstone for a modern technology-dependent economy.
This programme grant brings together the best UK academics and key industrial partners involved in the development of a new supply chain for sustainable materials and applications. We will accelerate novel pathways to manufacture advanced materials out of available UK bioresources while boosting their performance working with stakeholders in key industrial sectors (chemical industry, advanced materials, energy, waste, agriculture, forestry, etc).
The combined food, forestry and agricultural waste in the UK amounts to approx.26.5m tonnes each year. There is no valuable economic chain in the UK to allow waste valorisation towards high value-added materials. Yet, by mass, functional materials provide the most viable route for waste utilisation, preferable over waste-to-energy. This Programme Grant will thus enhance the UK's capability in the critical area of affordable and sustainable advanced materials for a zero carbon UK economy, providing multidisciplinary training for the next generation of researchers, and support for a nascent next generation of an advanced materials industry
Our vision is to build our most important functional materials from bio-based resources which are locally available. These materials will lower CO2 emissions, helping the UK to reach the targeted zero emissions by 2050 while boosting high-performance, locally available technologies and creating new industries. They will form the cornerstone for a modern technology-dependent economy.
This programme grant brings together the best UK academics and key industrial partners involved in the development of a new supply chain for sustainable materials and applications. We will accelerate novel pathways to manufacture advanced materials out of available UK bioresources while boosting their performance working with stakeholders in key industrial sectors (chemical industry, advanced materials, energy, waste, agriculture, forestry, etc).
The combined food, forestry and agricultural waste in the UK amounts to approx.26.5m tonnes each year. There is no valuable economic chain in the UK to allow waste valorisation towards high value-added materials. Yet, by mass, functional materials provide the most viable route for waste utilisation, preferable over waste-to-energy. This Programme Grant will thus enhance the UK's capability in the critical area of affordable and sustainable advanced materials for a zero carbon UK economy, providing multidisciplinary training for the next generation of researchers, and support for a nascent next generation of an advanced materials industry
Organisations
- Imperial College London (Lead Research Organisation)
- Petronas (Collaboration)
- Johnson Matthey (United Kingdom) (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- The Faraday Institution (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- University of Milan (Project Partner)
- Bio bean (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- BP (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Lixea Limited (Project Partner)
- Freeland Horticulture (Project Partner)
- National Composites Centre (Project Partner)
- Harrison Farms (Project Partner)
- PV3 Technologies (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Domino (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Loughborough University (Project Partner)
- Faradion (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Biomimicry Institute (Project Partner)
- Futamura Chemical UK Ltd (Project Partner)
- C4Ware Ltd. (Project Partner)
- Toyota Motor Corporation (Belgium) (Project Partner)
- SUPERGEN bioenergy hub (Project Partner)
- BASF (Germany) (Project Partner)
- Shell (Netherlands) (Project Partner)
- L'Oréal (France) (Project Partner)
- University of British Columbia (Project Partner)
- Consciously Aware (Project Partner)
- RISE Research Institutes of Sweden (Project Partner)
- Fiberight (Project Partner)
- Deregallera (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
Publications
Favero S
(2024)
Toward photovalorization of waste at scale?
in Joule
Frka-Petesic B
(2023)
Structural Color from Cellulose Nanocrystals or Chitin Nanocrystals: Self-Assembly, Optics, and Applications.
in Chemical reviews
Frka-Petesic B
(2023)
Electrohydrodynamic convection instabilities observed in suspensions of cellulose nanocrystals.
in Cellulose (London, England)
Giri D
(2023)
Ion Size-Dependent Electrochromism in Air-Stable Napthalenediimide-Based Conjugated Polymers.
in ACS applied materials & interfaces
Hongrutai N
(2023)
Sequential deposition of FeNC-Cu tandem CO 2 reduction electrocatalysts towards the low overpotential production of C 2+ alcohols
in Journal of Physics: Materials
Li Q
(2023)
Investigating the Role of Fe-Pyrrolic N4 Configuration in the Oxygen Reduction Reaction via Covalently Bound Porphyrin Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes
in Advanced Functional Materials
Muazu R
(2024)
Life cycle sustainability assessment of bioderived advanced materials: A state-of-the-art Review
in Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering
| Description | Petronas Industrial Collaboration |
| Amount | £1,300,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Petronas |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | Malaysia |
| Start | 03/2023 |
| End | 04/2025 |
| Title | Research data supporting "Structural Color from Cellulose Nanocrystals or Chitin Nanocrystals: Self-Assembly, Optics and Applications" |
| Description | see summary provided as pdf. Figure041 - transmission spectra from integrating sphere and UV-vis; reflection spectra from integrating sphere and double-ended probe. Figure044 - angle-resolved optical spectroscopy spectra for specular, scattering and tilt modes. Figure046 - POM for reflection (R) and transmission (T) from the same region of interest (ROI 4). Figure047 - POM for bright field (BF) and dark field (DF) at the same region of interest (ROI 3). Figure048 - POM at various magnifications (5x, 10x, 20x) at the same region of interest (ROI 2). Figure049 - POM and spectra in various imaging modes (unpolarised UP, parallel polarisers PP, crossed polarisers XP, circular polarisation LP and RP) at the same region of interest (ROI 2). Figure050 - POM in bright field (BF) in various imaging modes (reflection R or transmission T, or both RT) and polarization (unpolarized UP, parallel PP or crossed polarizers XP) |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/357024 |
| Title | Research data supporting 'Electrohydrodynamic Convection Instabilities Observed in Suspensions of Cellulose Nanocrystals' |
| Description | The research dataset contains images and sequences of images of the corresponding videos. Please refer to the pdf EC_CNC_OpenData for abstract and details of the Research Data. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/357026 |
| Description | Johnson Matthey Battery Technology Centre |
| Organisation | Johnson Matthey |
| Department | Johnson Matthey Technology Centre |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | QMUL was responsible for the development of anode materials for Na-ion batteries from biomass derived precursors in terms of synthesis, characterisation and performance analysis. QM's involvement in the project was definitely beneficial as the vast expertise of Prof Titirici's in the synthesis of sustainable and low cost carbons with various characteristics (pore size, functionality, level of graphitisation) was constructive on the decision making on the progress of developing the anode materials and corresponding half cell testings. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Johnson Matthey's involvement in the LOCONIBs project was on the development of the cathode materials and the half and full cell testing. They have succesfully achieved the milestones set, which were: - To develop cathodes materials based on reduced or substitution of critical raw materials with more abundant, lower cost, elements while maintaining the performance - To develop a protocol to test sodium ion batteries - To investigate ways to maximise the electrochemical performance. |
| Impact | Significant results have been achieved in this one year long feasibility project for the development of low cost electrodes for sodium ion batteries. The promising results in terms of electrochemical performances show the materials's potential use as electrodes in Na-ion batteries and are believed to be close to the level required for practical applications. Significant knowledge and experience have been gained concerning materials preparation, scaling up and testing protocols. Additionally, the project was presented in UK Energy Storage (UKES) Conference and an entry was made for Rushlight Awards. Excellent feedback was received from both. A poster prize was achieved in UKES with the title of "Biomass-Derived Low Cost Negative Electrodes in Na-Ion Batteries." Three manuscripts are also being worked on to be published in specialised journals |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Working together on Na anode free batteries |
| Organisation | Petronas |
| Country | Malaysia |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We are investigating new ways to achieve high energy density and sustainable Na ion batteries |
| Collaborator Contribution | Petronas i s funding a research project with me as PI and 2 PDRAs |
| Impact | we are working towards a patent |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | upscaling Na ion battery cathodes and manufacturing of pouch cells |
| Organisation | The Faraday Institution |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | upscaling hard carbon anodes and pouch cells manufacturing |
| Collaborator Contribution | providing cathodes for pouch cells |
| Impact | we will upscale our hard carbon anodes and provide to all NEXGENA partners and we manufacture pouch cells with various nextgena cathodes |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Many scientific conferences, MRS, ACS, MC-16, Commonwealth Conferences, etc |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | I have given over 150 talks at various conferences/events on disseminating my research results |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021,2022,2023,2024 |
| Description | Outreach for general public |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | We organised a meeting on food waste, raising awarnence and explaining ways to convert waste into battery materials |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |