Final Activity Report Summary - EFEPOC (European forum on electrochemical promotion of catalysis)
This project aimed at training young researchers to a new speciality: the electrochemical promotion of catalysis (EPOC). EPOC or Non-faradaic Electrochemical Modification of Catalytic Activity (NEMCA) effect is a promising concept for boosting actual catalytic processes and advancing the frontiers of catalysis.
The EFEPOC forum was a great success both from the leading scientists and young participants point of view. EFEPOC allowed structuring an EPOC community at the European level with, in its vicinity, a lot of young researchers. The multidisciplinary and innovative field of EPOC was shared, discussed and strongly promoted as demonstrated by the evolution of the number of publications in international journals. From 2007, beginning of the project, the number of publications has doubled, increasing from an average of 20/year up to more than 40 in 2009. Furthermore, the number of citations of publications related to EPOC was strongly enhanced reaching 500 citations/year compared to only 200 before 2007. These statistics clearly show that EPOC is a recent field which is growing up. The EPOC community is now structured, has done an intensive effort of fundamental research in the last few years and has, now, clearly identified the main problems to be solved in order to develop industrial applications.
EFEPOC was composed of two series of events over the period 2007-2009:
-A coherent series of four training courses during which young researchers acquired fundamental and practical knowledge, necessary for mastering all aspects of the EPOC field. The four events trained 61 young participants from 19 different nationalities.
1. Basics and Applications of Solid state Electrochemistry (BASE) held in May 2007 in Patras, Greece. BASE was focused on electrochemical mechanisms, processes and reactors.
2. Basics and Applications of Catalysis Heterogeneous and Homogeneous, BACHH, held in Ciudad-Real, Spain, in May 2008, gave fundamental knowledge on catalysis, from the main catalytic mechanisms to the industrial applications of catalysis.
3. Electrochemical Promotion of Catalysis, EPOC, was organized in Lyon (France) in May 2009 and gave exhaustive trainings on the electrochemical promotion of catalysis, from fundamental to practical aspects.
4. Trends in Electrochemical Promotion Of the Catalysis, TEPOC, was organised in November 2009 in Almagro, Spain. TEPOC was focused in recent developments in EPOC field in the European context.
-Two international conferences which covered both theoretical and practical aspects of EPOC as well as the interactions of EPOC with the catalysis and electrochemistry community.
1. The 1st International Conference on the Origin of Electrochemical Promotion of Catalysis (OREPOC) Thessaloniki, Greece, October 2007.
2. The 2nd International Conference on Electrochemical Promotion of Catalysis and its Applications (EPOCAP, Oleron island, France, October 2008).
The two international conferences were focused on the origin of Electrochemical Promotion of Catalysis as well practical aspects of EPOC but mainly generated discussions and exchanges between researchers from various scientific communities (catalysis, surface science, physical chemistry, environmental chemistry, material science and solid-state electrochemistry). They succeeded in serving as a general forum for enhancing interdisciplinary interactions, dialogue, and collaborations among all scientists interested in classical and electrochemical promotion of Catalysis. Prominent scientists from academia and industry were invited to give Keynote Lectures on specified topics, reviewing the current international state-of-the-art and discussing the anticipated breakthroughs, while young and experienced researchers were provoked to present their latest developments in both fundamental and practical aspects of EPOC. The EFEPOC international conferences welcomed 112 participants of 20 different nationalities.
The EFEPOC forum was a great success both from the leading scientists and young participants point of view. EFEPOC allowed structuring an EPOC community at the European level with, in its vicinity, a lot of young researchers. The multidisciplinary and innovative field of EPOC was shared, discussed and strongly promoted as demonstrated by the evolution of the number of publications in international journals. From 2007, beginning of the project, the number of publications has doubled, increasing from an average of 20/year up to more than 40 in 2009. Furthermore, the number of citations of publications related to EPOC was strongly enhanced reaching 500 citations/year compared to only 200 before 2007. These statistics clearly show that EPOC is a recent field which is growing up. The EPOC community is now structured, has done an intensive effort of fundamental research in the last few years and has, now, clearly identified the main problems to be solved in order to develop industrial applications.
EFEPOC was composed of two series of events over the period 2007-2009:
-A coherent series of four training courses during which young researchers acquired fundamental and practical knowledge, necessary for mastering all aspects of the EPOC field. The four events trained 61 young participants from 19 different nationalities.
1. Basics and Applications of Solid state Electrochemistry (BASE) held in May 2007 in Patras, Greece. BASE was focused on electrochemical mechanisms, processes and reactors.
2. Basics and Applications of Catalysis Heterogeneous and Homogeneous, BACHH, held in Ciudad-Real, Spain, in May 2008, gave fundamental knowledge on catalysis, from the main catalytic mechanisms to the industrial applications of catalysis.
3. Electrochemical Promotion of Catalysis, EPOC, was organized in Lyon (France) in May 2009 and gave exhaustive trainings on the electrochemical promotion of catalysis, from fundamental to practical aspects.
4. Trends in Electrochemical Promotion Of the Catalysis, TEPOC, was organised in November 2009 in Almagro, Spain. TEPOC was focused in recent developments in EPOC field in the European context.
-Two international conferences which covered both theoretical and practical aspects of EPOC as well as the interactions of EPOC with the catalysis and electrochemistry community.
1. The 1st International Conference on the Origin of Electrochemical Promotion of Catalysis (OREPOC) Thessaloniki, Greece, October 2007.
2. The 2nd International Conference on Electrochemical Promotion of Catalysis and its Applications (EPOCAP, Oleron island, France, October 2008).
The two international conferences were focused on the origin of Electrochemical Promotion of Catalysis as well practical aspects of EPOC but mainly generated discussions and exchanges between researchers from various scientific communities (catalysis, surface science, physical chemistry, environmental chemistry, material science and solid-state electrochemistry). They succeeded in serving as a general forum for enhancing interdisciplinary interactions, dialogue, and collaborations among all scientists interested in classical and electrochemical promotion of Catalysis. Prominent scientists from academia and industry were invited to give Keynote Lectures on specified topics, reviewing the current international state-of-the-art and discussing the anticipated breakthroughs, while young and experienced researchers were provoked to present their latest developments in both fundamental and practical aspects of EPOC. The EFEPOC international conferences welcomed 112 participants of 20 different nationalities.