Project description
When light becomes a catalyst
Light does more than illuminate. It also drives chemistry. When shone on tiny metal nanoparticles, reactions accelerate and become more selective, thanks to plasmonic catalysis. However, scientists have been unable to track all processes occurring on these minuscule surfaces. The ERC-funded CHOPIN project aims to build models that zoom in all the way to individual atoms, tracing every step of the reaction as it unfolds. This will shed light on what actually happens when molecules absorb and react on these surfaces. This approach also enables the prediction and design of new plasmonic catalysts. The overall goal is to develop tools for energy, materials science, and sustainable chemistry.
Objective
Plasmonic catalysis is the field of chemistry that studies chemical reactions catalyzed by surface plasmons. By exploiting their unique properties, it offers enhanced reaction rates and selectivity. From a theoretical point of view, describing plasmonic catalysis is particularly challenging, because many mechanisms take place simultaneously. Such complexity and the limitations of current theoretical methods hinder a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. In fact, current models struggle to capture the interplay between reaction dynamics, nanostructure response, and plasmonic decay, often oversimplifying critical factors such as shape, size, and atomistic features of the plasmonic substrate.
CHOPIN aims to bridge the current gaps in the modeling of plasmonic catalysis, by integrating state-of-the-art techniques from theoretical chemistry, condensed matter physics, and quantum electrodynamics. To this end, I will introduce novel, fully atomistic multiscale methodologies to describe the key steps of plasmonic catalysis: adsorption and activation of the reactants upon plasmon photoexcitation, reaction pathways, and desorption of products. The models will permit quantifying and rationalizing the effects of non-uniform spatial plasmonic fields, plasmonic decay, and hot carrier injections on chemical reactions catalyzed by plasmonic structures of any shape, size, and composition.
The developed methodologies will be carefully validated and tested against selected pilot applications, focusing on complex nanoreactors with unique features such as highly localized electric fields demanding a fully atomistic description of the system. By demonstrating the robustness, effectiveness, and versatility of the proposed approaches in modeling plasmonic photo-induced phenomena, CHOPIN aims to provide a platform for integrating experimental results with theoretical predictions, thus fostering a deeper understanding of the underlying processes.
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.
- natural sciences physical sciences condensed matter physics quasiparticles
- 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.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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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-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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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) ERC-2025-STG
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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.
00133 Roma
Italy
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.