**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THIS PROJECT IS TO CONVERT ABUNDANT AND UNDERUTILIZED FOREST RESIDUES (SUCH AS SMALL-DIAMETER TREES, FOREST THINNINGS FROM FOREST MANAGEMENT, AND SAWDUST/WOOD CHIPS FROM SAWMILLS) TO FUNCTIONALIZED MESOPOROUS MATERIALS FOR ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATIONS. SPECIFICALLY, WE WILL MAKE MESOPOROUS AEROGELS (HIGHLY POROUS AND EXTREMELY LIGHT MATERIALS WITH A LARGE SURFACE AREA) FROM FOREST RESIDUES VIA A DISSOLUTION/DISPERSION AND REGENERATION PROCESS USING A LOW-COST SOLVENT (CALCIUM BROMIDE SOLUTION). THE AEROGELS WILL BE USED IN FABRICATING TRIBOELECTRIC NANOGENERATOR (TENG) TO HARVEST MECHANICAL ENERGY (SUCH AS FROM OCEAN WAVES, WIND, MOVING VEHICLES, AND HUMAN MOTION), WHICH CAN POWER THE INTERNET OF THINGS, SUCH AS SENSOR NETWORKS AND WEARABLE/PORTABLE ELECTRONICS. THE AEROGELS WILL ALSO BE USED AS BIOSORBENTS TO REMOVE HARMFUL ANTIBIOTICS FROM WATER. TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE AEROGELS IN THE ABOVE-MENTIONED APPLICATIONS, VARIOUS FUNCTIONAL GROUPS WILL BE INTRODUCED INTOTHE AEROGELS BY BLENDING NATURAL POLYMERS AND THEIR DERIVATIVES (E.G., CHITOSAN, CARRAGEENAN, CARBOXYMETHYLCELLULOSE, METHYLCELLULOSE, ETC.) AND FOREST RESIDUES-BASED CARBON MATERIALS (SUCH AS BIOCHAR). THE FUNCTIONALIZED AEROGELS WILL BE ANALYZED AND CHARACTERIZED TO UNDERSTAND THEIR STRUCTURES AND PROPERTIES AND THEN USED TO HARVEST MECHANICAL ENERGY FROM THE AMBIENT ENVIRONMENT VIA TRIBOELECTRIC NANO-GENERATOR DEVICES AND REMOVE (ADSORB) ANTIBIOTICS FROM WATER AS BIOSORBENTS, RESPECTIVELY.SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH TO CONVERTING UNDER-UTILIZED FOREST RESIDUES TO HIGH-VALUE MATERIALS, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BENEFIT AGRICULTURAL (FORESTRY), ENERGY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS.