HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-11: Harnessing the unique properties of marine organisms to deliver sustainable blue bio-based product

The Polyphenols Chemistry and Materials Science (PPM) Group is dedicated to the valorization of waste (marine) biomass, specifically focusing on polyphenolic and polysaccharidic structures. Employing green and innovative isolation strategies, the group extracts and purifies these polymeric structures to serve as starting materials for fabricating higher added-value materials and nanomaterials through chemical or physical methodologies. These advanced materials are designed for a broad spectrum of uses, ranging from biomedicine to applications in electronics and environmental sectors (e.g., packaging, sensing, bioremediation). A core competence of the group lies in the establishment of robust and reliable characterization protocols to provide a comprehensive picture of the physicochemical features of biopolymers, especially polyphenols, whose intrinsic complexity necessitates deep knowledge for thorough valorization. By adopting ad hoc synthetic and post-functionalization approaches, the team modulates the physicochemical characteristics of the prepared materials, with an emphasis on multi-functional and stimuli-responsive systems to satisfy specific application requirements. Furthermore, the PPM Group invests significant research in biomass-derived micro- and nano-structures, combining performances with bio- and eco-compatibility, targeting full control over the final properties of the materials by a careful selection of both the starting resources and the synthetic strategies.

Some examples are:

1. Isolation (using both wet chemistry and greener strategies) and characterization of:

- cellulose and (nano)cellulose from algae

- chitin and chitosan (also in the form of nanocrystals), e.g. from crab/shrimp shells

- (nano)hydroxyapatite from fish waste, e.g. scales

- polyphenols from, e.g., red and brown algae

2. Development and characterization of marine-derived materials such as:

- Bioactive (nanostructured) films for packaging, biomedicine, electronic and sensing applications

- Carbon nanofibers

- 3D electrospun scaffolds and aerogels for tissue engineering/controlled release of actives

- Sustainable coatings for metal, paper and plastic substrates

- Nanoparticles and nano/microcapsules for the controlled release of actives for healthcare, agricultural, cosmeceutical and nutraceutical applications

- Nanoparticles for adsorption and photodegradation of water pollutants (e.g. dyes, antibiotics)

3. Sustainable functionalization strategies for cellulose and chitin nanocrystals for properties modulation

4. Investigation on the self-assembly behavior of marine-derived polysaccharide nanocrystals

5. Sequential extraction/fractionation strategies for holistic marine biomass valorization

6. Biocatalytic oxidative functionalization of natural polyphenols

Please contact: Prof. Matteo Gigli: matteo.gigli@unive.it