Project description
A new approach to the efficient production of sustainable aviation fuel
Producing sufficient sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to meet the growing demand in aviation is a significant challenge. The EU has set an ambitious target of 70 % SAF usage in airports by 2050 but achieving this requires new and efficient solutions. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the UNiCSAFe project will develop advanced efficient and sustainable catalysts for synthesising SAF precursors, known as alkylbenzenes, by employing surface organometallic chemistry. Researchers will combine experimental and computational means to gain better understanding of the catalyst's behaviour allowing it to refine its properties, efficiency and sustainability. UNiCSAFe paves the way for greener aviation and should help advance renewable energy integration in the industry.
Objective
Nowadays, the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production is insufficient to cover the growing needs of the aviation sector. The European Commission has set a target for fuels supplied to EU airports to contain 70% SAF by 2050, representing a quantity of 40 million tons of SAF. To address this challenge, UNiCSAFe aims at developing new efficient and sustainable catalysts for alkylbenzene synthesis (SAF precursor). Alkylbenzene are synthesized by oligomerization of ethylene followed by Friedel Crafts alkylation of aromatic compounds (both precursors can be produced from biosources or CO2). All effective processes described in the literature are based on homogeneous catalysts (with a large excess of AlCl3) which prevents the easy separation of catalyst from the desired SAF precursor. To circumvent this, the Surface Organometallic Chemistry (SOMC), combining the advantages of both heterogeneous and molecular chemistry (well-defined catalysts that can be easily recycled), is a powerful approach that will allow the synthesis of new supported nickel catalysts for the tandem ethylene oligomerization/Friedel-Crafts alkylation. The rational development of such catalysts will be tackled by combining experimental and theoretical means. Beyond synthetic work and catalyst evaluation, the project targets a better understanding of the reaction mechanism, allowing fine-tuning of the second generation of catalysts (more efficient, selective and sustainable) for SAF precursor synthesis. In conclusion, UNiCSAFe represents a first step toward the development of a technology for SAF production, which is a gateway to increase the share of renewable energies in aviation industries.
The UNiCSAFe project merges advanced organometallic chemistry, including SOMC, catalysis and both experimental and theoretical mechanistic investigation. Thus, it provides an excellent platform to develop and bolster my scientific- and soft-skills, and strengthen my profile to pursue my own independent career.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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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-MSCA-2024-PF-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.
75794 Paris
France
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.