Project description
Carbon electrodes from CO2-laser pyrolysis conversion of lignin-based pulping residues
Carbon electrodes are widely used in electrochemistry, including in fuel cells, batteries and electrolysers, given their number of free electrons for electron transfer. CO2 laser pyrolysis of high carbon lignin-based pulping residues is a sustainable route to patterned carbonisation of electrodes with biodegradability for a circular economy. With the support of the Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions programme, the LASERION project will develop high-performance, hierarchical porous laser-patterned film carbonised electrodes for unprecedented ion sensing by electrochemistry. The team will valorise bio-based polymers, using lignosulfonates as the carbon source, to produce sustainable electrodes for iontronics, an emerging technology using ions as signal carriers bridging solid-state electronics and biological systems.
Objective
LASERION’s main objective is to develop robust and efficient hierarchical porous laser-patterned film (LPF) carbonized electrodes (CE) for unprecedented ion sensing by electrochemistry. LASERION’s ambition, aligned with the EU Green deal 2050 carbon neutrality roadmap and United Nations goal 9, is to contribute simultaneously to climate neutrality while proposing a new technological path to reinvent the modern electronical industry. For that purpose, the research fellow (RF) will conjointly with the host scientist, prepare sustainable electrodes through valorization of bio-based polymers via three material engineered strategies centered at the CO2-laser carbonization, namely porogen agents (before, WP1a), controlled atmosphere (during, WP1b), and conductive polymers (after, WP1c). The resulted carbonized based electrodes, using lignosulfonates as the carbon source, will be characterized with an extended portfolio of routine (WP3a) and advanced (WP3b) techniques listed in section 3.1. The same LPF-CE will be tested via electrochemistry in a newly engineered designed cell (WP2). Such electrochemical tests are divided in two configurations: standard (WP4a) three-electrodes cell (working, counter, and reference) and a more sophisticated cell (WP4b) with an additional potentiostat to provoke an electromagnetic stimulus. Combinedly, WP5 deals with training, communication, dissemination, and strategic network building. Finally, WP6 is dedicated to project management, specifically in the technical, administrative, financial, and IPR aspects. By accomplishing these ambitious work packages, tasks, and objectives towards unprecedented LPF-CE evaluating their ion sensitivity capacity in liquid using a new custom bipotentiostat electro-cell, LASERION attempts to provide a qualified training to the RF while delivering a potential technological readiness level 3 with an untapped modern CO2-laser pyrolysis conversion of lignin-based pulping residues for a needed circular economy.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European FellowshipsCoordinator
91054 Erlangen
Germany