Presentation materials
In this study, we present the development of a biomass hybrid hydrogel (BHH) evaporator, meticulously engineered with a hierarchical porous structure to optimize solar-driven water evaporation and desalination. The hydrogel integrates natural polysaccharides, namely starch and chitosan, with melanin-inspired polydopamine-coated Fe nanoparticles (PDA-Fe NPs), serving as a highly efficient...
Many soils in the Coastal Tablelands of Brazil have limitations in their physical quality because of subsurface cohesive horizons [1]. The consistency of cohesive soil horizons is hard to extremely hard when dry, restricting root development, while its structure slakes under high water content, reducing the support of plants and drainage [2,3]. Often, sand constitutes 70% to 80% of cohesive...
Aluminosilicate-based materials, such as geopolymers, have attracted significant attention due to their diverse industrial applications in catalysis, adsorption, and wastewater treatment. Among these materials, aluminosilicate hydrogels, precursors to zeolites, show great promise for advancing sustainable materials. These hydrogels are capable of enhancing soil stabilization and reducing...
Plants are major drivers of terrestrial water fluxes, transpiring 40% of the global terrestrial precipitation. This vast amount of water inevitably flows through the rhizosphere, the thin soil layer surrounding roots. This interface is, therefore, of great relevance for the hydrological cycle. Especially when considering coarse-textured soils such as sandy soils, existing soil-plant models...
In this talk I will outline combined experimental approach my group has taken to quantify porous media, such as soil, solute movement, such as plant nutrient P, movement using high temporal resolution techniques.
The reason for focusing on phosphorus is that it is an essential nutrient for crops. Precise spatiotemporal application of P fertilizer can improve plant P acquisition and reduce...
Hollow mesoporous silica (HMS) nanoparticles offer a versatile platform for developing advanced delivery systems due to their high surface area, tunable porosity, and structural stability. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) offer exceptional potential for designing advanced pesticide delivery systems due to their high surface area, uniform pore distribution, and customizable pore...
Urban and agricultural environments are increasingly contaminated by chlorinated solvents, pesticides, nitrates, heavy metals, etc. Such pollutants, which initially impact surface soils, eventually seep into groundwater. It is therefore essential to remediate degraded soils to ensure water and food sovereignty. This study presents a method for remediating soils contaminated by organic...
A laboratory investigation aimed at understanding the interaction between model environmental biofilms and water quality contaminants such as metals and microplastics is developed. Microbial biofilms can adsorb and retain water-born contaminants in their matrix of extracellular biopolymers, which form a hydrogel called EPS, and therefore have potential to capture evidence of transient...
Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) strategies hold potential for improving groundwater quantity for crop irrigation, yet they also pose risks to groundwater quality. The introduction of exogenous water into the subsurface, whether by flooding or well injection, creates geochemical gradients in redox potential, pH, and major ion compositions. In turn, these gradients can induce dissolution...
