Supported Projects

This project develops innovative catalytic processes grounded in the principles of Green Chemistry, Circular Chemistry, and sustainable process design. The research addresses a central industrial challenge: transforming solid waste materials from agricultural and manufacturing sectors into high-value functional resources for chemical synthesis. The work integrates two complementary research lines. The first focuses on the valorisation of vegetable-tanned leather waste generated by the tanning industry. Instead of treating these residues as disposal burdens, they are converted into multifunctional materials capable of promoting transition metal–catalysed reactions in water. This approach enables key industrial transformations under mild conditions while improving reaction handling, reducing solvent demand, and simplifying downstream processing. The environmental impact of these methodologies is systematically evaluated through Green Chemistry metrics and Life Cycle Assessment to ensure measurable sustainability improvements. The second research line explores agricultural waste, specifically micronized waste wool, as a bio-based functional material. Wool is employed as a solid emulsifier to generate stimuli-responsive Pickering-type emulsions in aqueous systems for metal-catalysed cross-coupling and hydroformylation reactions. Under microwave activation, the protein-based material creates interfacial catalytic environments that enhance efficiency and selectivity. The system is designed for recyclability and scalability, demonstrating robustness and practical applicability. Together, these projects demonstrate how waste streams can be re-engineered into catalytic tools that eliminate the need for synthetic surfactants, organic co-solvents, and separation solvents. By integrating catalysis, materials science, and sustainability assessment, the project promotes industrial symbiosis and advances the transition from waste management to waste valorisation within a circular chemistry framework.