Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Single-Atom Photocatalysts Enhanced by a Self-Powered Photonic Glass Reactor to Produce Advanced Biofuels

Project description

An innovative approach to biofuel production

Mounting energy demand and fossil fuel depletion threaten global energy security and the environment. To mitigate this, the EU targets climate neutrality by 2050, relying on next-generation biofuels from non-land, non-food bio-wastes. However, challenges in bio-ethanol reforming hinder the production of advanced biofuels like butanol and hydrogen. In this context, the EIC-funded GlaS-A-Fuels project focuses on transforming bio-ethanol into advanced biofuels like butanol and hydrogen, overcoming challenges of low yields and selectivity. Their innovative approach involves light-trapping photonic glass reactors powered by thermoelectric modules, enhancing the efficiency of photo-amplified single-atom catalysts. With expertise in materials science, catalysis, and laser technologies, GlaS-A-Fuels aims to pioneer sustainable solutions for future energy needs.

Objective

The increasing energy demand and the depletion of fossil-fuel reserves, threatening our energy security and the environment, have aroused intense global concern. To mitigate this, the EU aims to become climate-neutral by 2050, by targeting at the next-generation of biofuels from non-land and non-food competing bio-wastes. Butanol (BuOH), heavier alcohols and hydrogen (H2), if produced from bio-ethanol, are promising advanced biofuels due to their high energy content, long shelf-life and, in case of BuOH, compatibility with the current engines and fuel distribution infrastructure. However, their production faces challenges due to the low yields and selectivities during ethanol reforming. GlaS-A-Fuels envisions a holistic approach to transform bio-ethanol to advanced biofuels employing recyclable and cooperative catalysts from earth-abundant elements. The concept is based on the engineering of a light-trapping and light-tuning photonic glass reactor, self-powered by a thermoelectric module, and tailored to amplify the effectiveness of photo-amplified single-atom catalysts. GlaS-A-Fuels aims to harness the full power of the light-activated carriers of photoactive supports by channeling this energy to the surface-exposed transition metal-cation single atom sites. There, via the effective coordination with the reactants and energy matching with their frontier orbitals, solar energy to fuel conversion can be maximized. Metal-metal and metal-support cooperativity, charge transfer phenomena and strongly polarized oxidations states can further contribute to the required enhanced catalytic performances and difficult-to-achieve key reaction intermediates. To develop efficient processes for the production of advanced biofuels, GlaS-A-Fuels will leverage in a concerted way the key expertise of five partners in materials science for solar and thermal energy harvesting, catalysis, laser technologies for tuning light-matter interactions, intelligent process-control systems.

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.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

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.

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.

HORIZON-EIC - HORIZON EIC Grants

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) HORIZON-EIC-2023-PATHFINDEROPEN-01

See all projects funded under this call

Coordinator

IDRYMA TECHNOLOGIAS KAI EREVNAS
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.

€ 800 000,00
Address
N PLASTIRA STR 100
70 013 IRAKLEIO
Greece

See on map

Region
Νησιά Αιγαίου Κρήτη Ηράκλειο
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost

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.

€ 800 000,00

Participants (4)

My booklet 0 0