| Contact: | sz-edit@mail.bme.hu |
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| Website: | link |
| Focal points and main thrusts of research: |
Flow chemistry Biocatalysis Food industrial technology Heterogeneous catalysis Environmental technologies Solvents replacement, alternative solvents Stereoselective synthesis technology Technological processes Recycling Technology Chemical industrial technology Green chemistry Egyéb: szuperkritikus szén-dioxid, extrakció, fázisegyensúlyok |
| Introduction: | Various novel applications of the supercritical fluids are in the centre of our research focus. These applications aim to solve problems using especially supercritical carbon dioxide which cannot be efficiently solved by conventional solvents or methods, or a supercritical process has well-defined advantages. Alternative solvents, such as supercritical carbon dioxide or pressurized liquids including water are increasingly studied worldwide as they offer various possibilities for process intensification and applicability in continuous and flow technology schemes. Antisolvent fractionation with supercritical carbon dioxide is a hot topic in our field. The basis of the process is the antisolvent precipitation, which is especially suitable to produce particles and composites on the micrometre scale, and also for controlling morphology to a certain extent. However, the goal of the antisolvent fractionation is beyond the micronization, we aim to achieve chemical purification (separation) and the particle formation of the preferred fraction in single unit operation. The understanding of the phenomena affecting antisolvent fractionation is not yet fully understood, and this lack of knowledge is hindering the wider acceptance of the technique. While continuing our research on the optimization of the antisolvent fractionation based enantioseparation via diastereomeric salt formation or self-disproportionation we are aiming to collect also the lacking fundamental knowledge on the antisolvent fractionation itself. The food manufacturing sector in Europe generates a large quantity of by-products and waste. Due to the lack of reliable data a high uncertainty surrounds the estimate for the processing sector which is 17 million tons ± 13 million tonnes. According to the “zero waste economy” efforts of developed countries several options are available to reduce this quantity of food waste such as energy production (by means of anaerobic digestion for biofuels), recovering precursors for biodegradable plastic materials and producing value-added bioactive compounds for chemical, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmetic applications. Agro-food by-products are generally characterized by high diversity and variability with high organic and water contents, which likely degrade quickly and also a good soil for microbiological growth. These streams need to be sanitized as only microbe-free, stable extracts can be applied in food- pharmaceutical, and/or cosmetic industries. The feasibility of industrial application relies also on regional specificity, namely local food waste producers, potential users so the environmental and economic impacts can be reduced. Mainly antioxidant phenolic compounds of natural origin (propolis, rosemary, green tea leaves, eucalyptus, grape seed, yarrow and onion peels) have been concentrated so far by supercritical antisolvent fractionation generally resulting 2-3 times more phenolic acids, diterpenes, tannins or flavonoids in the precipitated fractions compared to the feed or to the extract. The goal of the proposed research is to develop and optimize an efficient technique to produce stable fine particles with bioactivity and/or natural pigments from agro-food by-products. The fundamental question is how to separate and concentrate the target natural bioactive while minimizing the enrichment of contaminants (either microbiological or chemical) originating from the raw materials. Furthermore, the stabilization of heat-, light- and air sensitive bioactive during and after processing is a key issue as well. The second major goal is to demonstrate that the developed method can be scaled up by applying modern modelling and simulation methodologies and the rule of thumb as well. The pilot plant unit will be able to produce samples in a suitable quantity for potential application tests and also will serve as a reference for further industrial scale up. The research group consists of five staff members (4 researchers and a technician), PhD fellows and undergraduate students. |
| Sample publications: | List of publications: https://m2.mtmt.hu/gui2/?type=authors&mode=browse&sel=10013782 https://m2.mtmt.hu/gui2/?type=authors&mode=browse&sel=10062234 Selected publications blocked according to the fields: Enantioseparation (diastereomers, self-disproportionation, enzymatic) Lőrincz, L ; Tóth, Á ; Kondor, L ; Kéri, O ; Madarász, J ; Varga, E ; Székely, E; Gas antisolvent fractionation based optical resolution of ibuprofen with enantiopure phenylglycinol, JOURNAL OF CO2 UTILIZATION 27 pp. 493-499. , 7 p. (2018) Kmecz, I; Varga, Zs; Székely, E; One pot kinetic resolution and product separation with corn germ oil and supercritical carbon dioxide, JOURNAL OF SUPERCRITICAL FLUIDS 141 pp. 218-223. , 6 p. (2018) Lőrincz, L; Bánsághi, Gy; Zsemberi, M; de Simon Brezmes, S; Szilágyi, IM; Madarász, J; Sohajda, T; Székely, E; Diastereomeric salt precipitation based resolution of ibuprofen by gas antisolvent method, JOURNAL OF SUPERCRITICAL FLUIDS 118 pp. 48-53. , 9 p. (2016) Székely, E ; Utczás, M ; Simándi, B; Kinetic enzymatic resolution in scCO2 – Design of continuous reactor based on batch experiments, JOURNAL OF SUPERCRITICAL FLUIDS 79 pp. 127-132. , 6 p. (2013) Bansaghi, Gy; Szekely, E; Mendez Sevillano, D; Juvancz, Z; Simandi, B; Diastereomer salt formation of ibuprofen in supercritical carbon dioxide, JOURNAL OF SUPERCRITICAL FLUIDS 69 pp. 113-116. , 4 p. (2012) Utczás, M ; Székely, É ; Tasnádi, G ; Monek, E ; Vida, L ; Forró, E ; Fülöp, F ; Simándi, B; Kinetic resolution of 4-phenyl-2-azetidinone in supercritical carbon dioxide, JOURNAL OF SUPERCRITICAL FLUIDS 55 : 3 pp. 1019-1022. , 4 p. (2011) Thorey, P ; Bombicz, P ; Szilágyi, IM ; Molnár, P ; Bánsághi, G ; Székely, E ; Simándi, B ; Párkányi, L ; Pokol, G ; Madarász, J; Co-crystal of (R,R)-1,2-cyclohexanediol with (R,R)-tartaric acid, a key structure in resolution of the (+/-)-trans-diol by supercritical extraction, and the related ternary phase system, THERMOCHIMICA ACTA 497 : 1-2 pp. 129-136. , 8 p. (2010) Székely, E ; Bánsághi, G ; Thorey, P ; Molnár, P ; Madarász, J ; Vida, L ; Simándi, B; Environmentally benign chiral resolution of trans -1,2-Cyclohexanediol by two-step supercritical fluid extraction, INDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY RESEARCH 49 : 19 pp. 9349-9354. , 6 p. (2010) Szekely, E ; Simandi, B ; Illes, R ; Molnar, P ; Gebefugi, I ; Kmecz, I ; Fogassy, E; Application of supercritical fluid extraction for fractionation of enantiomers, JOURNAL OF SUPERCRITICAL FLUIDS 31 : 1 pp. 33-40. , 8 p. (2004) Extraction from plants, circular economy related Vági, E; Balázs, M; Komóczi, A; Kiss, I; Mihalovits, M; Székely, E; Cannabinoids Enriched Extracts from Industrial Hemp Residues, PERIODICA POLYTECHNICA-CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 63 : 2 pp. 357-363. , 7 p. (2019) Calvo, A; Dévényi, D; Kószó, B; Sanz, S; Oelbermann, AL; Maier, M; Keve, T; Komka, K ; Gamse, T; Weidner, E et al. Controlling concentration of bioactive components in cat's claw based products with a hybrid separation process, JOURNAL OF SUPERCRITICAL FLUIDS 125 pp. 50-55. , 6 p. (2017) Bartolomé, OA; Calvo, GA; Szekely, E; Škerget, M; Knez, Ž; Supercritical fluid extraction from Saw Palmetto berries at a pressure range between 300 bar and 450 bar, JOURNAL OF SUPERCRITICAL FLUIDS 120, Part 1 pp. 132-139. , 8 p. (2017) Cossuta, D ; Simándi, B ; Vági, E ; Hohman, J ; Prechl, A ; Lemberkovics, É ; Kéry, Á ; Keve, T;Supercritical fluid extraction of Vitex agnus castus fruit, JOURNAL OF SUPERCRITICAL FLUIDS 47 : 2 pp. 188-194. , 7 p. (2008) Vagi, E ; Simandi, B ; Vasarhelyine, KP ; Daood, H ; Kery, A ; Doleschall, F ; Nagy, B; Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of carotenoids, tocopherols and sitosterols from industrial tomato by-products, JOURNAL OF SUPERCRITICAL FLUIDS 40 : 2 pp. 218-226. , 9 p. (2007) Vagi, E ; Simandi, B ; Suhajda, A ; Hethelyi, E; Essential oil composition and antimicrobial activity of Origanummajorana L. extracts obtained with ethyl alcohol and supercriticalcarbon dioxide, FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 38 : 1 pp. 51-57. , 7 p. (2005) Materials and miscellenous Varga, D; Alkin, S; Gluschitz, P; Péter-Szabó, B; Székely, E; Gamse, T; Supercritical fluid dyeing of polycarbonate in carbon dioxide, JOURNAL OF SUPERCRITICAL FLUIDS 116 pp. 111-116. , 6 p. (2016) Kelemen, Zs ; Péter‐Szabó, B ; Székely, E ; Hollóczki, O; Firaha, DS ; Kirchner, B; Nagy, J; Nyulászi, L; An Abnormal N‐Heterocyclic Carbene–Carbon Dioxide Adduct from Imidazolium Acetate Ionic Liquids: The Importance of Basicity, CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL 20 : 40 pp. 13002-13008. , 7 p. (2014) Botka, B ; Füstös, ME ; Tóháti, HM ; Németh, K ; Klupp, G ; Szekrényes, Z ; Kocsis, D ; Utczás, M ; Székely, E ; Váczi, T et al. Interactions and Chemical Transformations of Coronene Inside and Outside Carbon Nanotubes, SMALL 10 : 7 pp. 1369-1378. , 10 p. (2014) Maggini, L ; Füstös, M-E ; Chamberlain, TW ; Cebrián, C ; Natali, M ; Pietraszkiewicz, M ; Pietraszkiewicz, O ; Székely, E ; Kamarás, K ; De Cola, L et al. Fullerene-driven encapsulation of a luminescent Eu(iii) complex in carbon nanotubes, NANOSCALE 6 : 5 pp. 2887-2894. , 8 p. (2014) Czakkel, O ; Székely, E ; Koczka, B ; Geissler, E ; László, K; Drying of resorcinol-formaldehyde gels with CO2 medium, MICROPOROUS AND MESOPOROUS MATERIALS 148 : 1 pp. 34-42. , 9 p. (2012) |
| Awards and achievements: | Edit Székely Görög Jenő prize for teaching activities 2018 University TDK prize (for excellent supervisory activity of students participating at the Scientific Student Conferences) 2017 Bolyai Plakett for excellent research 2017 Women in Science Excellence Prize 2017 Bolyai János grantee 2013-2016 University Prize of Varga József Foundation 2008 International Society for Advencement on Supercritical Fluids, PhD Thesis Award 2005 |
| Guest professors: | Incoming Monika Johannsen (Universitiy Hamburg-Harburg, Germany) 2015-2019 full courses (Industrial Chromatography, Environemntally benign chemical Processes, Environmentally bening catalytic processes and supervision, consultation) Thomas Gamse (Technical University of Graz, Austria) from 2013 annually Outgoing Edit Székely Technical University of Valladolid, Spain - 2012 Technical University of Graz, Austria - from 2013 annually Annual Summer Course of the High Pressure Working Party of the European Federation of Chemical Engineering - from 2010 annually Erika Vági Annual Summer Course of the High Pressure Working Party of the European Federation of Chemical Engineering - from 2019 annually |
| Group leader: | Dr. Székely Edit |