Objective
The commercialization of low temperature fuel cells is restricted by the high cost and low durability of cathode catalysts. Intense efforts have been devoted to tackle this issue by engineering the structure of Pt-based catalysts. Herein, a novel concept towards enhancing the performance of low temperature fuel cell catalysts is proposed, namely by tuning the local active site microenvironment with an immobilized ionic liquid (IL) phase. As demonstrated by the applicant in preliminary work, a suitable IL layer strongly influences the active catalytic site in a very promising manner, apparently via a highly complex interplay of solvent-, ligand- and electrostatic-stabilization effects. As the structural versatility of ILs allows for rational engineering of this modification at molecular level, the proposed project aims for a full scientific exploration of the remarkable activation and stabilization effects in ORR, to enable the realization of an innovative fuel cell cathode with dramatically enhanced performance. To achieve this ambitious goal, a sound fundamental understanding of the interaction of ILs with electrocatalytic sites will be derived by making use of the excellent research infrastructure and longstanding experience in ionic liquid design and catalytic materials at our institute. To demonstrate the general applicability, the deduced principals will also be applied to CO2 electrochemical reduction. The approach will not stop at the design of novel catalyst systems, but will address solutions to ensure long-term stability of the IL modification. To avoid IL leaching from the catalyst over time, the recent success of the applicant in the synthesis of novel core/shell carbon materials will be employed. The IL will be synthesized in situ within a mesoporous core and the steric demanding ions fixed through a molecular sieving shell surrounding each catalyst particle. A model-assisted strategy will be applied for optimization of the core/shell pore structures.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels renewable energy
- natural sciences chemical sciences catalysis electrocatalysis
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry transition metals
- natural sciences chemical sciences organic chemistry hydrocarbons
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels fuel cells
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2015-CoG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
64289 DARMSTADT
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.