Objectives:

Objective 1: Synthesis and characterization of ligand-functionalized polysaccharides.

Objective 2: Design of novel porous ligand-functionalized biocomposites embedding natural aluminosilicates.

Objective 3: Evaluation of ligand-functionalized polysaccharide-based composites as selective sorbents for removal and recovery of heavy metal ions from contaminated waters.

Objective 4: Modeling and optimization of polysaccharide modification, composite preparation and heavy metal ion sorption using tools of artificial intelligence.

Objective 5: Training/specialization of PhD and MS students, as well as the dissemination of project results.