I-Corps: Biomanufacturing of Advanced Porous Carbon Materials

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project deals with the development of porous carbon materials made from fungal-derived precursors. The demand for porous carbon materials, like activated carbon (AC), is expected to surpass supply capabilities by 2020. Since AC is used in applications such as water filtration, air purification, and energy storage, it is imperative to develop new and higher performing versions of AC. This new technology takes advantage of sustainable carbon sources present in wastewater, such as municipal and industrial, to grow tunable biotemplates for AC which have the potential to outperform traditional AC. By treating wastewater during manufacturing, marginal cost is reduced and production occurs near end consumers.This NSF I-Corps project will help determine a potential product-market fit for fungal derived activated carbons. This is a platform technology using filamentous fungus to capture renewable and sustainable carbon from wastewater as a base for a variety of synthetic carbons. Organic carbon, present in wastewater, provide a nutrient source for potential cost savings and large scale production. By taking advantage of facile and rapid fungal growth, and controlling the carbonization conditions, it may be possible to produce commercial carbons at a fraction of the cost of current products. Tunability in the growth stage unlocks a series of advantageous product developments such as microstructure, dopants, and chemistry. The main advantages of the newly derived activated carbon include monolithic structures, nano-metal integration, high surface area, high purity, potential for renewable labeling, and low production cost.