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Metal EXsolved CATalysts for the CO2 valorisation to methanol: design, synthesis, and characterisation of next-generation catalysts, unravelling their structure-activity relationship

Project description

Rational design of next-generation exsolved catalysts for methanol production from CO2

CO2 hydrogenation to methanol is a promising way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere while producing methanol for industrial use, for fuels and as a building block of other chemical compounds. The process typically uses catalytic nanoparticles. However, although supported nanoparticle systems can have potentially high activity levels, they tend to exhibit problems with long-term durability. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the MEXCAT project will design next-generation stable and selective catalytic nanoparticles enabling higher methanol yield. The team will harness nanoparticle exsolution, a recently discovered process providing a relatively simple, single-step, synthetic pathway to produce supported nanoparticles that combine high stability with high activity.

Objective

The European Union goal of a 80-95% decrease of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 requires, among other strategies, new functional materials and sustainable approaches for clean energy generation and pollutant abatement. The chemical valorisation of CO2 is a highly promising green solution involving the recycling and reuse of CO2 effluents as carbon source for fuels and chemicals, such as methanol. The low CO2 conversion, triggered by catalytic nanoparticles (NPs) deactivation by sintering and limited selectivity, however, limits its industrial growth. The first aim of this proposal is to design next-generation stable and selective catalysts for the CO2 hydrogenation to methanol, that can rival state-of-the-art materials through the ambitious achievement of 10% methanol yield. This will be done by NP exsolution, a novel route to achieve stable anchored NPs, which has barely been explored for this application, despite the superior catalytic properties unique to exsolved systems. To then unravel the lack of fundamental understanding in the catalytic mechanisms of exsolved systems, we will characterise the correlation of their structure with their reactivity and selectivity via a unique in situ/operando approach (second aim). The role of active sites such as exsolved NPs and structural defects will be elucidated by in situ/operando Infrared (FTIR) and Raman studies; we will monitor the composition and strain evolution of the materials surfaces during catalytic processing by state-of-the-art in situ photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The unique expertise of the host supervisor in CO2 hydrogenation catalysts testing and characterisation by in situ/operando FTIR and Raman, and of the secondment group in XPS studies of catalysts on-stream, coupled with my experience in exsolved systems design and in situ TEM characterisation will advance the fields of exsolution and CO2 valorisation catalysis, allowing me to gain a unique skillset.

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01

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Coordinator

POLITECNICO DI TORINO
Net EU contribution

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.

€ 172 750,08
Address
CORSO DUCA DEGLI ABRUZZI 24
10129 Torino
Italy

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Region
Nord-Ovest Piemonte Torino
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

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