Descripción del proyecto
Un método innovador para la producción de biocombustibles
La creciente demanda de energía y el agotamiento de los combustibles fósiles amenazan la seguridad energética mundial y el medio ambiente. Para mitigarlo, la Unión Europea se ha fijado como objetivo la neutralidad climática para 2050, basándose en biocombustibles de nueva generación procedentes de biorresiduos no terrestres ni alimentarios. Sin embargo, los retos que plantea la reforma del bioetanol dificultan la producción de biocombustibles avanzados como el butanol y el hidrógeno. En este contexto, el equipo del proyecto GlaS-A-Fuels, financiado por el Consejo Europeo de Innovación, se centra en la transformación del bioetanol en biocombustibles avanzados como el butanol y el hidrógeno, superando los retos de los bajos rendimientos y la selectividad. Su innovador planteamiento implica reactores de vidrio fotónico que atrapan la luz, alimentados por módulos termoeléctricos, lo que mejora la eficiencia de los catalizadores fotoamplificados de un solo átomo. Con experiencia en ciencia de materiales, catálisis y tecnologías láser, el equipo de GlaS-A-Fuels aspira a ser pionero en soluciones sostenibles para las futuras necesidades energéticas.
Objetivo
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.
Ámbito científico
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energysolar energy
- natural scienceschemical sciencescatalysisphotocatalysis
- engineering and technologymaterials engineering
- natural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryalcohols
- engineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybiomaterialsbiofuels
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
- HORIZON.3.1 - The European Innovation Council (EIC) Main Programme
Convocatoria de propuestas
HORIZON-EIC-2023-PATHFINDEROPEN-01
Consulte otros proyectos de esta convocatoriaRégimen de financiación
HORIZON-EIC - HORIZON EIC GrantsCoordinador
70013 Irakleio
Grecia