19 dic 2025
2025 has been a prolific and successful year for NBEA, a R&D project promoted by researchers from the University of Girona (LEPAMAP-PRODIS) and the Complutense University of Madrid.
As 2025 comes to an end, the NBEA project (“Nanocellulose-based products for environmental applications”) celebrates a landmark year of scientific advancement and international dissemination. Funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, this collaborative venture between the Universitat de Girona (LEPAMAP-PRODIS group) and the Universidad Complutense de Madrid is fulfilling its mission to advance nanocellulose-based materials for a more sustainable future.
During 2025, NBEA researchers have focused on transforming nanocellulose, especially cellulose nanofibers, into high-readiness solutions for:
Heavy Metal Remediation: Developing amidated cellulose-based sorbents for the removal of aqueous lead(II) and other harmful ions.
Advanced Sensing: Creating nanocellulose-stabilized dispersions for iron(III) and mercury(II) detection.
Carbon Capture: Integrating oxidized cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) into electrospinning membranes for CO2 adsorption.
Soil treatment: Nanocellulose-containing gels and beads `for the controlled release of water and nutrients.
The NBEA team has maintained an intensive and rewarding conference schedule throughout 2025, sharing their findings with the global scientific community. The list of meetings, workshops or congresses includes ISFEM (Girona), EPNOE (Sundsvall), CIBIQ (Lisbon) and EMEC (Chania).
A recent follow-up meeting hosted by the LEPAMAP-PRODIS group in Girona brought together the project’s lead investigators, Prof. Àngels Pèlach Serra (UdG) and Prof. Carlos Negro (UCM). The meeting confirmed that the project is not only meeting its technical objectives but is also advancing (at a realistic pace) in its commitment to "Green Chemistry", avoiding hazardous solvents and increasing the industrial appeal of its sustainable solutions.
However, the team is aware of the relatively low readiness level of the proposed solutions. Hence, as the project moves into its next phase, the NBEA team remains committed to turning these innovative laboratory proposals into real-world applications for ecosystem remediation and effluent treatment.