The HELICOSS project was presented at the School of Quantum Electronics: Progress in Photoacoustic & Photothermal Phenomena, held in Erice, Sicily, from 5–12 November 2025.

  Project HELICOSS was well represented at the 31st Slovenian Chemical Days in Portorož with three oral scientific contributions: Sebastjan Nemec: Exploring polymer and surfactant soft-templating in the synthesis of transparent silica monoliths for CO₂ capture Anjali: SiO₂–Fe₃O₄ hybrid monoliths for photothermal CO₂ desorption Blaž Belec: Hybrid SiO₂–activated carbon monolithic sorbents for absorption-peak targeted photothermal CO₂ regeneration   The excellent work and promising results were also recognized with an award for one of the top three presentations by young researcher Anjali.     Anjali Congrats       

After fabrication, the photothermally active silica monoliths undergo several stages of characterization. In addition to morphological, mechanical, optical, CO₂ adsorption capacity, surface area, and stability analyses, a key step is the evaluation of their photothermal performance.

For the needs of the HELICOSS project, we set up a laboratory for the characterization of photothermal properties of materials. The first experiments in our new Ajdovščina facilities took place in July. And while the summer outside was scorching, our lab experiments never got that hot—we never had to call the firefighters for cooling support!

On May 29th, the HELICOSS project was showcased at Lavrič Square in Ajdovščina as part of a public science outreach event. Dr. Sebastjan Nemec demonstrated the synthesis of innovative photothermally active CO₂ monolithic sorbents and explained how their unique properties are studied. A laser setup was installed on-site, allowing passers-by to witness firsthand how light can be transformed into heat — a key principle behind the project’s approach to efficient CO₂ desorption.