Ponente: Dr. Ugochukwu Patrick Okoye, IER UNAM
Dr Ugochukwu Patrick Okoye obtained his Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Chemical Engineering from Nnamdi Azikiwe University (Nigeria), the University of Newcastle upon Tyne (United Kingdom), and Universiti Sains Malaysia (Malaysia), respectively. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Shenyang University of Technology (China).
He is currently a Senior Researcher (Level “A”) at the Institute of Renewable Energies, UNAM. His research integrates clean energy and materials science, with a particular focus on waste valorisation for sustainable fuels, catalysis, energy storage materials, and environmental remediation technologies
He has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers with more than 4,000 citations on Google Scholar, and has supervised numerous research projects and undergraduate and postgraduate theses.
He is a Level I member of the National System of Researchers (SNI) and serves as Section Editor of Energy, Ecology and Environment and Associate Editor of Environment, Development and Sustainability.
Abstract:
The presentation “Porous Carbon: A Versatile Platform for Energy, Environment, and Catalysis” highlights porous carbons derived from biomass, focusing on conversion routes, carbonisation, and activation techniques that enable the tuning of porosity and surface functionality.
It is based on a series of case studies demonstrating how different raw materials and processing strategies can be adapted for specific end uses.
The case studies showcase diverse applications: carbons obtained from macadamia nut shells for dye and drug adsorption; chitosan- and agave-based composites for arsenic(V) removal; wasp-nest-derived carbons for supercapacitors; polymer-based superabsorbents from disposable nappies for hydrogen storage; and glycerol-derived carbons for fuel additive synthesis.
Each example integrates detailed material characterisation (surface area, BET, porosity, morphology, electrochemical behaviour) alongside performance evaluation, emphasising the adaptability of porous carbon in environmental remediation, energy storage, and catalysis processes.