Porelio is a visionary startup founded in 2024 by the dedicated young scientists Rhea Machado and Javier Silva whose careers are closely linked to UniSysCat. Porelio is working on the removal of pollutants from water, for example, with advanced adsorbents, so-called functionalized mesoporous silicas (FOMS). Thus, Porelio wants to revolutionize the future of industrial separation and cleaning - with a clear goal: to make the world more sustainable and carbon-neutral. Under the mentorship of Prof. Arne Thomas, co-speaker of UniSysCat and head of the Functional Materials research group at TU Berlin, the founders of Porelio developed their innovative, functionalized nanomaterials inter alia at BasCat, the UniCat BASF joint lab on the campus of TU Berlin. An interview with Rhea and Javier about their careers and their company Porelio was published in CHEManager magazine on March 19.
In this interview, Rhea and Javier explain the technology behind Porelio and how the industry can benefit from the removal of pollutants by it. They talk about their scientific and economic goals and the role of Berlin as a location.
"Why was Porelio founded in Berlin?
Javier Silva: Berlin is emerging as a green chemistry hub, and Porelio benefits from this ecosystem. greenChem provides lab infrastructure and industry access, while UniSysCat connects us to top researchers. This synergy helps us translate cutting-edge research into industrial purification solutions."
Rhea Machado is a process engineer and entrepreneur pioneering the field of green chemistry. She dir her PhD at BasCat. During her PhD, she was a fellow of the EC2/BIG-NSE doctoral program, which is closely linked to UniSysCat. She played a key role in scaling up the Porelio technology from lab to pilot scale and now leads the company as CEO.
Javier Silva is a chemist specializing in materials science, catalyst synthesis and molecular chemistry. He was also a PhD student in the EC2/BIG-NSE PhD program and worked at BasCat, where he laid the foundation for the pioneering research on FOMS. As CTO of Porelio, Javier leads the scientific strategy to develop innovative green chemistry solutions to tackle the challenges of global pollution and drive innovation in sustainable materials.
Rhea Machado and Javier Silva have had a stellar career at UniSysCat. As UniSysCat, we are proud of them and wish them all the best for the future!
The full article and interview can be read online: https://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news/high-performance-adsorbents-future-clean-industry