TWO scientific research posters presented by researchers from the University of Santo Tomas won in the poster contest held during the 2023 International Chemistry Congress of the Kapisanang Kimika ng Pilipinas.

The team of Prof. Christina Binag, Asst. Prof. Felicidad Christina Ramirez-Penafiel, PhD chemistry student David Joseph Alzate, and BS Chemistry alumnus Leighnard Jien Felix worked on the project titled “Polypyrrole and Rice Straw Biochar on Pineapple-Cotton Fabric as Supercapacitor Electrodes for Symmetrical Coin Assembly.”

“The poster dealt with the concern on the growing global demand for energy that is both clean and renewable, which led to the need to develop energy storage devices,” UST said. “The paper found that biochar had a positive effect on the capacitance of PPY-based fabric electrodes and showed promise as an energy material for supercapacitors.”

Meanwhile, BSc Chemistry students Maricar Cruz, Mary Elyssa Ranoa and alumnus Matthew Villanueva worked on the project “Fuel Cell Electrocatalysts for Ethanol Oxidation Reaction (eor) and Oxygen Reduction Reaction (orr) Based on Pyrolyzed Coconut Husk Biomass.”

“The study used coconut husk biochar as a low-cost alternative to Pt-based cathode catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction and as a carbon-based support for Pd-based anode catalysts for ethanol oxidation reaction and found the catalysts to provide promising results for ORR and EOR with sustainable, low-cost source of carbon-based materials,” UST said.

Prof. Bernard John Tongol and graduate school student Hannah Grace Geronimo mentored the students.