The European Green Deal is the European Union’s roadmap to make Europe climate-neutral and resource-efficient. It includes making Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 (compared to 1990 levels). While some sectors, such as transportation, have made rapid progress towards decarbonization by deploying electric vehicles, the European chemical industry (>150 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year) lags behind in achieving its goals for a carbon-neutral future. One reason for the slower pace of decarbonization and the achievement of climate goals is the lack of carbon-neutral chemical processes to produce chemicals and materials at scale.
The ERC Starting Grant project PolyElectroCAT (101116071) develops new electrode materials for sustainable electrochemical synthesis, supporting the transition toward lower-carbon chemical manufacturing. The project focuses on designing and evaluating advanced electrode materials that enable chemical transformations driven by electricity. The research aims to establish a new class of electrode materials for electrosynthesis and to expand the capabilities of electrochemical processes beyond those achievable with conventional electrode technologies. By improving the efficiency and selectivity of electrically driven chemical reactions, the project seeks to contribute to more sustainable production methods with reduced environmental impact and lower waste generation. Overall, PolyElectroCAT is advancing fundamental knowledge and the development of materials for next-generation electrochemical manufacturing technologies.
