Project description
Electrocatalytic processes for urea production
Urea is primarily produced commercially by reacting nitrogen oxides with ammonia and is widely used in agriculture. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the PURE-CO2 and NOx project will develop a solution that converts CO2 and NOx gases into urea through photo- and electrocatalytic processes. The project combines catalyst development, reactor design, and novel spectroscopic studies to investigate reaction dynamics. It will use in situ and operando spectroscopy to clarify reaction intermediates and pathways, deepening understanding of photo- and electrocatalytic systems. The project aims to increase reaction efficiency by up to 40 % and reduce urea production costs by approximately 10 %, aligning with EU priorities to advance emission reduction technologies.
Objective
The PURE-CO2 and NOX project at Imperial College, London, aims to tackle the rising anthropogenic emissions of CO2 and NOx by pioneering a recycling solution that converts these gases into “urea” using photo and electrocatalytic processes. This multidisciplinary initiative merges the development of catalysts, reactor design, and unexplored in situ and operando spectroscopic studies to examine transient intermediates, reaction kinetics and pathways. The initial phase targets the identification of optimal cathode catalysts for the co-reduction of CO2 and NOx, focusing on the use of non-precious transition metals to synthesize a range of single atom catalysts. These are evaluated for their reduction efficacy alongside photoanode electrodes fabricated from n-Si and n-GaAs. Custom designed industrially relevant flow reactors then assess the reduction performance of these setups. Under Professor James Durrant’s supervision, rigorous in situ spectroscopic and time-resolved operando photoinduced absorption studies are conducted to elucidate the reaction intermediates, byproducts, reaction kinetics and feasible pathways. This innovative application of operando techniques to study the photo and electrocatalytic urea production reactions is novel and fills a significant gap in understanding both photo and electrocatalytic systems. The project holds potential to revolutionize the design of cost-effective, efficient catalysts, projecting an enhancement in reaction efficiency by 30-40%, potentially reducing urea production costs in industrial settings by 10-12%. This aligns closely with EU priorities, setting the stage for significant advancements in emission reduction technologies.
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.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering waste management waste treatment processes recycling
- natural sciences chemical sciences catalysis
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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.
OX1 2JD Oxford
United Kingdom
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.