Sus principales áreas de investigación son:

• Combustibles renovables: Biodiesel, bio-oil, pellet, biopropano.
• Procesos de pirólisis, torrefacción, densificación, bioprocesos y biorrefinería.
   

Proyectos

1. Fortalecimiento Centros Regionales R23F0005. RECYCLE-SAFE: Advanced sustainable and safe solutions for recycling plastic packaging (CIPA) 2024 - 2027 (Investigador principal). 
2. FONDEF IT23I0053 Desarrollo de un prototipo avanzado de producción de gas licuado renovable a través de la optimización de un proceso termoquímico utilizando aceites residuales de fritura 2023 – 2025 (Directora).
3. FONDEF ID23I10155. Producción de bio jet fuel rico en compuestos aromáticos a partir de lignina kraft y aceite residual por el proceso integrado de co-pirólisis e hidrogenación 2023 – 2025 (Directora).
4. Proyecto I&D. Producción de Biopropano a partir de pellets utilizando un proceso termoquímico y nanocatalizadores  2022 – 2023 (Directora). Partner GASCO GLP.

Publicaciones (últimos 5 años)

1. Salfate G, Negrete-Vergara C, Azócar L, Ping Xiao L, Sun RC, Sanchez J. (2024). Lignin and functional polymer-based materials: synthesis, characterization and application for Cr (VI) and As (V) removal from aqueous media. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 278(2):134697.
2. Espinoza-Monje JF, Garcés HO, Díaz J, Adam R, Lazo J, Muñoz R, Saiz G, Azócar L. (2024). Investigating the properties of shrub biomass pellets by using additive and sawdust admixing. Renewable energy, 229:120764. Impact factor: 8,634.
3. Valdebenito F, Ramírez-Álvarez R, Muñoz A, Pecchi G, Canales R, Ormazabal S, Muñoz R, Alejandro-Martin S, Quero F, Adam R, Cifuentes G, Espinoza-Monje F, Azócar L. (2024). Biomass characterization and solvent extraction as tools to promote phenol production from urban pruning. Fuel, 130830: 362. Impact factor: 7.4.
4. Díaz J, Pizzio LR, Pecchi G, Camps C, Azócar L, Briones R, Romeo R, Troncoso E, Méndez-Rivas C, Melín V, Murillo-Siera J, Contreras D. (2023). Catalytic selective oxidation of β-O-4 bond in phenethoxybenzene as a lignin model using (TBA)5[PMo10V2O40] nanocatalyst: Optimization of operational conditions. Molecules, 28, 6368. Impact factor: 4.2.
5. Castillo F, Arias L, Garcés H, Azócar L (2023). Study of new spectral radiometric parameters during the combustion of pellets with different moisture conditions. Proceedings-IEE Chilean Conference on Electrical, Electronics Engineering, Information and Communication Technologies, ChileCon.
6. Espinoza-Monje F, Saíz G, Cifuentes G, Muñoz R, Valdebenito F, Ramírez G, Aríz S, Azócar L. (2023). Management of invasive shrubs to mitigate wildfire through fuel pellet production in central Chile. Fuel 354: 129342. Impact factor: 7.4.
7. Solís A, Rocha S, König M, Adam R, Garcés H, Candia O, Muñoz R, Azócar L. (2023). Preliminary assessment of hazelnut shell biomass as a raw material for pellet production. Fuel 333(2):126517. Impact factor: 7.4.
8. Díaz J, Pizzio L, Pecchi G, Campos C, Azócar L, Briones R, Romero R, Henríquez A, Gaigneaux E, Contreras D. (2022). Tetrabutyl ammonium salts of Keggin-type vanadium substituted phosphomolybdates and phosphotungstates for selective aerobic catalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol. Catalysts 12: 507. Impact factor: 3.9.
9. Sepúlveda S, Duarte-Nass C, Rivas M, Azócar L, Ramírez A, Toledo-Alarcón J, Gutiérrez L, Jeison D, Torres-Aravena A. (2021). Testing the capacity of Staphylococcus equorum for calcium and copper removal through MICP process. Minerals 11: 905. Impact factor: 2.818.
10. Guajardo D, Valdebenito F, Díaz J, Cifuentes G, Azócar L. (2021). Carbonization of microalgae for bio-coal production as a solid biofuel similar to bituminous coal. Fuel 302: 120963. Impact factor: 7.4.
11. Muñoz R, González A, Valdebenito F, Ciudad G, Navia R, Pecchi G, Azócar L. (2020). Fly ash as a new versatile acid-base catalyst for biodiesel production. Renewable Energy 162: 1931-1939. Impact factor: 8,634.
12. Rocha S, Candia C, Valdebenito F, Espinoza-Monje J, Azócar L. (2020). Biomass quality index: Searching for suitable biomass as an energy source in Chile. Fuel 264: 116820. Impact factor: 7.4
13. Duarte-Nass C, Rebolledo K, Valenzuela T, Kopp M, Jeison D, Rivas M, Azócar L, Torres-Aravena A, Ciudad G. (2020). Application of microbe-induced carbonate precipitation for copper removal from copper-enriched waters: Challenges to future industrial application. Journal of Environmental Management 256:109938. Impact factor: 8.7.