Meet Zhaleh Atoufi, one of the researchers in MistraTerraClean Her research studies are focused on the modification of cellulose base materials to form adsorbent for different contaminant in air and water with the aim of air/water purification.
What do you do in your research?
Part of my research is about preparing hydrophobic cellulose aerogels for oil/water separation. To tell more, by a molecular layer by layer modification, we modify cellulose aerogels and form a hydrophobic structure which is capable to adsorb oils and non-soluble solvents from water.
I´m also working on hybrid structures made up of cellulose nanofibrils and protein based fibers which have shown great potential in adsorption of heavy metals and dyes from water.
also we are working on incorporation of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) in the cellulose structure for air purification.
What is the goal with your research?
The goal of my project is to find materials for water and air purification. I form novel materials based on cellulose, which can contribute to the adsorption of contaminant from water and air for purification applications.
How can your research contribute to the development of the society? Who can benefit from your knowledge?
Due to the limitation of pure drinkable water reservoirs, and increasing number of contaminating source, having access to the clean drinkable water is a significant concern for researchers and environmental conservationists. Also development of industry has led to a large emission of toxic gases to the air. So preparing efficient filtration materials to have a cleaner environment is crucial for the whole society.
What is your role in Mistra Terra Clean?
I´m a PhD student and my project is part of Mistra Terra Clean program.
What is your next step as a researcher?
It´s hard to tell from now, but I like to continue my research on cellulose based materials for different applications. Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer in the world and has very interesting physical and chemical properties. Since around 69% of Sweden is covered by forest, it would be a great opportunity to synthesize novel cellulose based materials for different applications.
