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A chemical engineering research group led by Professor Tizazu Mekonnen has developed an eco-friendly super absorbent hydrogel that could dramatically reduce the environmental impact of personal hygiene products like diapers, menstrual pads and tampons.

Unlike current products, which take centuries to break down, this new material degrades harmlessly in soil within three months.

In North America, billions of disposable diapers end up in landfills annually, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) taking up to 450 years to decompose.

Around 1.8 billion women menstruate monthly, and most single-use menstrual pads and tampons also end up in landfills. These products are about 90 per cent plastic and can take up to 500 years to break down, according to the United Nations Environment Programme.

Chemical engineering professors are taking on the problem of plastic waste in the environment by leveraging synthetic biology to turn plastic waste into valuable resources.

“We’re stepping out of our silos to advance sustainability,” says Professor Marc Aucoin. “The question is: can we use biology—or can we tune biology—to aid us in tackling plastic pollution?”

The answer may well be yes. The research group recently co-authored an overview of strategies to leverage synthetic biology, microbial engineering and engineering design to degrade and upcycle plastic waste.

Professor Christian Euler, Waterloo’s lead for the Center for Innovative Recycling and Circular Economy (CIRCLE) in a recent study is investigating whether feedstocks derived from plastic waste could provide the energy to drive carbon dioxide (CO₂) conversion.

 The ScotiaBank Climate Action Research Fund is being awarded to Professor Christian Euler for a groundbreaking approach that aims to use bacteria to transform combined waste streams, including plastic-derived waste and CO2 into sustainable products such as bioplastics.

The ScotiaBank Climate Action Research Fund is granted to scientists and engineers whose research will advance climate-related initiatives.  Euler’s project offers a glimpse into a future where waste is not a problem to solve—it’s part of the solution.

“Innovation and research are important in the transition to a lower-carbon economy,” said Kim Brand, Vice President, Global Sustainable Business at Scotiabank. “At Scotiabank, we believe that research and collaboration can unlock practical solutions for businesses, communities, and individuals alike. The goal of the Climate Action Research Fund is to support initiatives, like the one underway at the University of Waterloo, to come to life in support of solutions for a more sustainable future.”

Euler’s research group could potentially create tailored biopolymers with specific properties by adjusting the bacteria’s feedstock. For instance, biopolymers could be created for use as biodegradable packaging. 

New research shows a smarter way to build artificial muscles for soft robots

A research group led by Chemical Engineering Professor Hamed Shahsavan has developed a method to reinforce smart, rubber-like materials—paving the way for their use as artificial muscles in robots, potentially replacing traditional rigid motors and pumps.

“Artificial muscles are essential for unlocking the true potential of soft robots. Unlike rigid components, they allow robots to move flexibly, safely, and with precision. This is especially important for applications like micromedical robots,” said Shahsavan.

The research group mixed liquid crystals (LCs) often used in displays for electronics and sensors into liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) which are promising building blocks for soft robots.

LCEs are rubbers that experience massive shape-change when heated, in a reversable but programmable manner. When a tiny amount of LCs were mixed with LCEs, they became much stiffer, up to nine times stronger than before.

Professor Maxime Van der Heijden is a new faculty member in the Department of Chemical Engineering. Her research focuses on electrochemistry and electrochemical systems, using a combination of computational modelling, 3D printing and laboratory experimentation.

She was inspired to pursue this area of research by her PhD supervisor at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands.

“At the time, I had no background in electrochemistry or computational modeling. My supervisor, however, was very enthusiastic about both fields. I was not the obvious choice for his project, but I was eager to take on the challenge—and that’s where my passion for electrochemistry began,” said Van der Heijden.

Van der Heijden now has expertise in engineering porous electrodes for redox flow batteries through modeling, optimization and lab experimentation. Redox flow batteries are not well known in Ontario and Van der Heijden hopes to raise awareness about their potential.

Eric Croiset, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, aims to turn CO2 into sustainable aviation fuel to achieve net-zero emissions. The study proposes to upend the perception of CO2 as a harmful greenhouse gas and instead view it as a valuable new feedstock for producing green fuels.

 Croiset’s research group, including PhD student Mohammadali Emadi, is exploring an innovative idea to capture CO2 gas directly from the air and turn it into sustainable aviation fuel. This idea has the potential to create a financial incentive to treat CO2 as a resource, bringing a circular carbon economy a step closer to becoming a reality.

The study combined two emerging technologies, Direct Air Capture (DAC), taking CO2 from the air and using Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells (SOEC) to change CO2 and steam into syngas, a mixture of primarily CO and H2. Syngas can then be processed into synthetic chemicals or fuels, such as sustainable aviation fuel.

These are uncertain times for industry, as it navigates survival with geopolitical changes looming, inflation, and supply chain issues.

Chemical Engineering researchers are developing innovative methods to harness machine learning (ML) for industrial applications, helping industries plan production more effectively in the face of unpredictable conditions.

A research group led by Professor Luis Ricardez-Sandoval is using ML methods to train “smart agents” to make production scheduling decisions in chemical and manufacturing systems where there is uncertainty.

The agents are trained through simulations of plant processes that include unexpected events, for example, equipment failure or a sudden change in production demands.

A research group led by Chemical Engineering Professor Milad Kamkar has developed a method to make it possible to have stable liquid droplets filled with different nanomaterials in another liquid.  

 This breakthrough research has created completely new categories of “programmable" droplet-based soft materials containing a range of nanomaterials. These droplets can be dried and turned into aerogel beads (highly porous materials) that can be deployed in many applications, such as carbon capture and wastewater treatment. 

 In complex environments, like wastewater streams with multiple contaminants, the aerogel beads can be layered or mixed to target specific pollutants.  

“Each bead can absorb a specific type of pollution,” says Kamkar. “Making the material not just multifunctional, but strategically programmable.” 

David Liñán Romero has won the Chemical Engineering Medal for Proficiency in Research Park and Veva Reilly Medal. The award recognizes skill in solving a research problem and efficiency in finding solutions. The award consists of a silver medal and a cash award.

"Winning this award makes me feel gratitude towards those who have encouraged and supported my research and academic development—not only my advisor and colleagues, but also my family and friends,”says Liñán Romero. "My PhD research was in numerical optimization, so I feel this award also recognizes the relevance of computational tools in aiding chemical engineering to shape a more efficient and sustainable future.”

Liñán Romero was a PhD student in the Department of Chemical Engineering supervised by Professor Luis Ricardez-Sandoval. He completed his doctoral studies in September 2024.

Liñán Romero’s main takeaways from studying with Ricardez-Sandoval were the importance of critical thinking and reasoning, as well as effective oral and written communication.

Professor Michael Tam has been named the 2025 recipient of the R.S. Jane Memorial Award by the Canadian Society of Chemical Engineering (CSChE). The award is presented to a person who has made exceptional achievements in the field of chemical engineering or chemistry.

“I am deeply honoured to receive this award, which reflects the hard work and contributions of the many talented students and researchers who have been part of my group since I began my academic journey in 1992,” Tam says.

Tam, a University Research Chair, is regarded as a pioneer and international leader in the fields of polymer colloids, surfactant-polymer interactions, nanomaterials, nanocellulose applications, and functional material science.

His research advances the development of sustainable nanomaterials for engineering applications in sectors such as cosmetics, personal & home care, agriculture, environmental remediation, and more.