Project description
A green blueprint for turning sunlight into fuel
For decades, scientists have tried to mimic plants by using sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to create clean fuel. While this ‘artificial photosynthesis’ approach is a brilliant idea, it has been difficult to master because most photocatalytic systems are inefficient and struggle to control the complex chemical reactions required to make it work. The ERC-funded BIOPOLE project is taking a new approach, inspired by the internal structure of chloroplast in photosynthetic organisms. Instead of a single large reaction space, it uses tiny polymer shells (miniature reactors) to separate different parts of the process. By carefully arranging these components, BIOPOLE can guide electrons and reactions with much higher precision. This process promises to turn sunlight into sustainable fuels and chemicals.
Objective
The transition to sustainable fuel and chemical production using renewable energy sources is paramount to curb CO2 emissions and decrease reliance on fossil fuels. In this context, artificial photosynthesis (AP) offers a promising approach to mimic natural photosynthesis (NP) to store solar energy into chemical bonds, driving the conversion of water and CO2 into renewable products. However, current photocatalytic AP systems are constrained by low efficiency, limited product selectivity, specially going beyond the 2 electron CO2 reduction, and poor control of cross-reactivity in solution.
BIOPOLE introduces an innovative compartmentalized approach to AP by mimicking the spatial layout of thylakoid membranes -which separate oxidation and reduction reactions to minimize cross-reactivity- arranging catalysts, photosensitizers and mediators across artificial membranes. Using polymeric vesicles (polymersomes) as bioinspired photocatalytic microreactors BIOPOLE will compartmentalize redox chemistry to ultimately drive the electrons from the oxidation of water to reduce CO2, offering an efficient and stable platform for solar fuel and chemical production. This project aspires to address key challenges in AP, developing novel advanced photocatalytic polymersomes with controlled membrane properties and functionalization, achieving precise separation of reaction centres, enhanced charge separation, and efficient solar-to-fuel conversion. Using photocatalytic polymersomes as simplified models of natural thylakoids to produce solar fuels and chemicals harnessing light as driving force, BIOPOLE will contribute to the understanding of reactivity at the aqueous interface of polymeric membranes and electron/proton transfer between compartments. Ultimately, BIOPOLE’s unique bioinspired polymersome-based approach promises to advance the design and conceptual development of artificial photosynthetic systems and provide a transformative platform for sustainable fuel production.
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.
-
HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
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-ERC - HORIZON ERC 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.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-STG
See all projects funded under this callHost institution
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.
43003 Tarragona
Spain
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.