Project description
Closing the carbon cycle with rational design of CO2-to-fuel converters
Since methane and other hydrocarbon fuel combustion generates CO2 emissions, capturing these emissions to produce fuels closes a circle and advances us toward a carbon-neutral paradigm. Recycling CO2 and H2O into methane has conventionally required very high temperatures and reaction conditions. Recently, solar-powered CO2 conversion into fuel using solar-powered thin-film semiconductor devices has been garnering increasing attention. Molecular photocatalysts provide significant advantages over inorganic ones, but mechanisms of charge transfer are poorly understood. The EU-funded SolTIME project will develop an innovative photocatalytic system that will also help scientists elucidate mechanisms leading to rational design and new horizons.
Objective
Solar fuels can be synthesized by integrating electrocatalysts with semiconductors, using sunlight to drive endergonic chemical reactions. Employing molecular electrocatalysts allows the tunability, selectivity, and three-dimensional architectures associated with molecular components to be combined with the solar energy capture and conversion properties of solid-state semiconducting materials. However, there is a lack of understanding of how photo-generated carriers are transported through these systems, disfavouring the rational design of efficient photoelectrocatalytic constructs. This proposal aims to interface copper porphyrins with built-in hydroxyl groups, known catalysts for CO2 reduction, to carbon nitride for photo-promoted generation of highly reduced products from CO2, including methane and ethanol. Catalytic activity and selectivity will be studied by using multi-dimensional approaches for porphyrin immobilization, drawing inspiration from the extended coordination spheres crucial in biological tuning of enzymatic activity. This will be achieved through synthesis of three distinct reaction environments at carbon nitride consisting of: a porphyrin monolayer, a polymer film coordinating the porphyrin, and a 2-D highly ordered covalent-organic framework (COF) composed of the porphyrin. It is expected that these specialised environments will give rise to distinct kinetic responses and product distribution. Existing electrochemical models will be extended to this photoelectrochemical data to investigate the interplay of light flux, substrate and electron diffusion, and catalytic rates, leading to the extrapolation of fundamental principles governing interfacial photo-induced charge transfer at catalytic thin films. Through this project, leadership training, language acquisition, and communication skills will be emphasized, furthering the experienced researcher’s career goals and preparing her for an independent career in solar fuels.
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: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels renewable energy solar energy
- natural sciences chemical sciences catalysis photocatalysis
- natural sciences chemical sciences organic chemistry hydrocarbons
- natural sciences chemical sciences polymer sciences
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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.
-
H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme -
H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
See all projects funded under this programme
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.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
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) H2020-MSCA-IF-2020
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
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.
43007 Tarragona
Spain
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.