Project description
New materials to boost solar hydrogen production
Hydrogen fuel generation from photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is one of the most promising forms of energy production. The EU-funded OHPERA project plans to develop a proof-of-concept tandem PEC cell to simultaneously achieve efficient solar-driven hydrogen production at the cathode and high added-value chemicals from industrial waste valorisation at the anode. Researchers will integrate highly efficient and stable photoelectrodes based on halide lead-free perovskite nanocrystals and tailored catalytic layers, avoiding the use of critical raw materials. Theoretical modelling both at the atomistic and device scales will aid in materials development and improve understanding of the physical mechanisms that underlie their performance. All materials and components will be integrated into a proof-of-concept device.
Objective
Photoelectrochemical (PEC) H2 generation, using water as proton and electron source, is considered the most impactful solar-driven processes to tackle the energy, environment, and climate crisis, providing a circular economy strategy to supply green energy vectors (H2) with zero carbon footprint. Aligning with this view, OHPERA will develop a proof-of-concept unbiased tandem PEC cell to simultaneously achieve efficient solar-driven H2 production at the cathode and high added-value chemicals from valorization of industrial waste (glycerol) at the anode, being sunlight the only energy input. Thus, OPHERA will demonstrate the viability of producing chemicals with economic benefits starting from industrial waste, using a renewable source of energy. For this purpose, OPHERA will integrate highly efficient and stable photoelectrodes based on halide lead-free perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) and tailored catalytic/passivation layers, avoiding the use of critical raw materials (CRM), in a proof-of-concept eco-design PEC device. Theoretical modelling both at an atomistic and device scales will assist the materials development and mechanistic understanding of the processes, and all materials and components will be integrated in a proof-of-concept device, targeting standalone operation at 10 mA·cm-2 for 100 hours, 90% Faradaic efficiency to H2, and including a clearly defined roadmap for upscaling and exploitation. Therefore, OPHERA will offer a dual process to produce green H2 concomitant to the treatment of industrial waste generating added-value chemicals with high economic and industrial interest, thus offering a competitive LCOH.
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.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculeslipids
- engineering and technologynanotechnologynano-materialsnanocrystals
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Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.3.1 - The European Innovation Council (EIC) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-EIC - HORIZON EIC GrantsCoordinator
12006 Castellon De La Plana
Spain