Supercritical CO₂: A Sustainable Alternative for Biomaterial Sterilization

Conventional sterilization methods, such as ethylene oxide (EO) and gamma radiation (γ-rays), come with well-known limitations and increasing environmental concerns. In our latest study, supercritical CO₂ (scCO₂) sterilization has been demonstrated as an eco-friendly alternative for polysaccharide aerogels made of starch and alginate.

In collaboration with CNR-SCITEC (Italy) and Universidade de Aveiro (Portugal), AerogelsLab assessed the effects on the textural and chemical properties of scCO₂-sterilized aerogels and compared the results with those obtained using EO and γ-rays. Our findings demonstrate the unique efficiency of scCO₂ as a post-processing method that preserves aerogel structure while providing a sustainable path to sterile and biocompatible biomaterials.

This work opens new doors for greener manufacturing in the biomedical field, showing that eco-sustainability and high-performance sterilization can go hand in hand.

For more details, read the full article: “Engineering of green sterilization technology to obtain biocompatible aerogels: Supercritical CO₂ versus ethylene oxide and gamma radiation”, published in Biomaterials Advances.