Project description
Artificial photosynthesis for sustainable energy production
Global energy demands are continuously rising and necessitate green alternatives to fossil fuels, including wind and solar sources. Funded by the European Innovation Council, the PLANKT-ON project aims to develop a net-zero emissions technology inspired by nature that releases oxygen into the atmosphere and simultaneously produces formate as a precursor for hydrogen fuel. The technology involves assembling synthetic plankton-like protocells that use light, water and CO2 to produce O2 and formate. The latter is easily converted into hydrogen gas through chemical reactions, serving as a potential source of clean energy. The technology will complement other solar technologies, such as photovoltaics and photoelectrocatalysis, and will empower the EU vision for solar fuels production through artificial photosynthesis.
Objective
While mature solar technologies (i.e. photovoltaics, photo-electrochemical cells) cannot simultaneously address the multi-faceted future energy challenge, PLANKT-ON aims to develop a disruptive net-zero emissions technology to both address the global energy demand and reoxygenation of our planet. Inspired by Nature, we propose to assemble the first synthetic plankton-like protocells that autonomously utilise light, water, and CO2 to produce O2 and formate, as a green H2 vector. To this aim, the plankton-like protocells will be shaped as containers of two synergic subdomains mimicking the natural plastids and the CO2-enzyme organelles. The artificial plastid (1st type proto-organelle) will utilise light to oxidise H2O to O2 and reduce a methyl viologen (MV) cofactor, this latter will feed the CO2-rich proto-organelle to selectively produce formate by a cascade enzymatic reaction. We are expecting that this original bio-inspired strategy will open a route to sustainable solar hydrogen.
The long term impact is envisaged for scientific innovation in groundbreaking solar-technology, going beyond the conventional photoelectrochemical cabled asset, and readily exploitable for empowering the EU vision for “Smart Buildings as Micro-Energy Hubs” in the world. Fundamental Research advances will be monitored by PLANKT-ON innovation radar activities, protected by our IP policy and disseminated to reach the expected stakeholders and the general public.
Multidisciplinary collaboration among the 6 partners, from 4 EU countries, 5 research centres, and 1 technology-based company, underpins the project activities that will target the EU mission. PLANKT-ON counts on the valuable experience of its Scientific Advisory Committee where international renowned scientists from Princeton (USA), Berkeley (USA), Tokyo (Japan) and EPFL-Lausanne (Switzerland) will contribute to the results evaluation and benchmarking in the field of light management, photo-catalysis and green H2 transport.
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.
- natural sciences chemical sciences catalysis photocatalysis
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy planetary sciences planets
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering information engineering telecommunications radio technology radar
- natural sciences biological sciences botany
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels renewable energy solar energy photovoltaic
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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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HORIZON.3.1 - The European Innovation Council (EIC)
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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.
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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) HORIZON-EIC-2022-PATHFINDEROPEN-01
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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.
50121 Firenze
Italy
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.