Antonio Capezza

My current focus is to develop large-scale protocols for producing biohybrid protein/lignocellulosic materials with useful properties as biodegradable ab(d)sorbents using industrial biomass as raw material (waste valorisation). My overall goal is to produce solutions within the "Waste to useful Products W2P" frame and the cradle-to-cradle circularity model for product design (raw material, processing, end-of-life).

My ultimate goal is to foster collaboration among actors interested in developing sustainable Sanitary Solutions and addressing the hygiene industry's negative environmental impact, including new emerging applications such as GHG remediation materials. I believe this can be achieved by bringing together diverse stakeholders and collaborators united in their commitment to creating solutions that contribute to a circular and sustainable economy.

My interests lie within the fields ofresearch, education, teaching, and society.

I am also a member of the LGBTQI+ and Allies Network at KTH 🏳️‍🌈. My pronouns are he, him. You can call me Antonio.

Are you interested in working in this research field? Contact me for more information.

Are you studying at a Gymnasium skolan and want to do project work with us? Clic here for more information!

Research

• Transformation of industrial biomass intofunctional materials andnetworks.
• Biomacromolecules and their use as raw material for producing porous absorbent networks.
• Circular economy principles for material development.
• Protein/cellulose interfacesfor the production of biohybrid networks.
• Upcyclingof biomass and biopolymer streams and material adaptation.

My research vision is based on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 9, 11 and 12. For more info, read more here.

3 Most Recent Articles

Genipap Oil as a Natural Cross-Linker for Biodegradable and Low-Ecotoxicity Porous Absorbents via Reactive Extrusion Lead author: Liliana B. Hurtado (Ph.D. student at KTH).

Eco-friendly disposable porous absorbents from gluten proteins through diverse plastic processing techniques - Lead authors: M. Bettelli (Ph.D. student), E. Traissac (group Alumni - 2022); A. Latras (Master student).

New sources of genipin-rich substances for crosslinking future manufactured bio-based materials - Lead author: Liliana B. Hurtado (group Alumni - 2023).

Projects

As project leader at KTH

• M-ERA.Net 3 / PORBioSorb. "PORous Bio-based and high-functional sorbent alternatives."

• FORMAS / BioRESorb."BIOdegradable vegan networks from REcycled agro-food waste as sustainable single-use abSORBents."

• KTH/University of Tokyo/Kyoto University:Joint Approaches for developing Protein-based Absorbent Networks (JAPAN project).

As collaborator

• Collaboration with Assist. Prof. Maryna Henrysson at the Unit of Energy Systems, KTH, to evaluate the impact of new bio-based polymers into a circular economy perspective.
• Collaboration with Assist. Prof. Amparo Jimenez Quero at Industrial Biotechnology, Life Sciences, Chalmers, to evaluate the intrinsic physicochemical properties of bio-based porous materials.
• Collaboration with Prof. Antonio Guerrero at Seville University (Spain) to develop superabsorbent structures from industrial waste.
• Collaboration with Prof. Marco Sabino at B5IDA Group, Simon Bolívar University, Venezuela, to develop novel bio-based material crosslinkers.

Previous Projects

• Bo Rydins Stiftelse / Sanitary Solutions.Large-scale extrusion of protein superabsorbents with cellulose fibres for hygiene applications"  Grant F 30/19. Role: Postdoc and Principal Investigator.
• Linnaeus-Palme project with UHR for collaboration with Venezuela within sustainable development.

• Protein based-superabsorbents (Problöja). Vinnova Grant. Role: Ph.D. student.
• Sustainable Superabsorbents (SuSap): Innovation Driven Challenge.Vinnova Grant. Role: Coordinator and project leader.

Latest News

Record number of KTH researchers making an impact

Is food waste the key to sustainable, plastic-free diapers and sanitary pads?

Stora Ingenjörspriset Innovation – delas ut av Vattenfall

From research to start-up – they are developing environmentally friendly alternatives to sanitary products.

Wheat gluten can be used to make sustainable diaper material

My Background

I have a double Ph.D. (2020) from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) and the Swedish University of Agricultural Science (SLU). The topic of the Ph.D. work was Superabsorbents from Agricultural Products. I developed an interest in polymeric materials when working withConductive Natural Rubber Nanocompositesin KTH (2014-2015). My doctoral studies on protein superabsorbents werepatentedin cooperation with Essity AB in 2020. I worked in 2019 as Project Coordinator and main applicant in the Vinnova Challenge Driven Innovation program "Sustainable Superabsorbents". The project aimed to pilot-scaling the results published in his Ph.D. thesis and resulted in an established constellation of 12 industrial/academic partners interested in exploring the materials for future applications.

I conducted my postdoctoral studies on the topicExtrusion of Superabsorbents for Hygiene Applicationsas principal investigator in KTH Olsson's group (BoRydins Stiftelsen for Independent Research, Grant F30/19) in theDepartment of Fibre and Polymer Technology. The focus of the project was to develop large-scale protocols for producing hygiene articles using industrial biomass/waste for raw material valorisation. The research is directed towards making useful hygiene products from waste (Waste To Products W2P), considering the circular bioeconomy and sustainability of the products (raw material, processing, end-of-life).

Advanced courses in:

• Polymer synthesis of polyolefins and polyesters.
• Elastomeric materials.
• Natural and synthetic polymers used in the Biomedical Field.
• Nano-structured materials.
• Living Polymerization.

• Materials Engineer from Universidad Simón Bolívar, Caracas-Venezuela. Program equivalent to 280 ECTS).
• Exchange Master studies at The Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm-Sweden. Part of a bilateral agreement program for exchange students.
• Master Thesis in Polymeric Nano-composite materials at The Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm-Sweden. 30ECST.
• Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Product Quality (double degree SLU and KTH). Thesis title: Sustainable Biobased Superabsorbents from Agricultural Co-Products