During the period , the CO2MPRISE activities focused on Project management and coordination (WP1), Research activity and technological application of innovative solutions for CO2 capture and conversion: Lab scale (WP2), Implementation and up-scaling investigation: from lab to wide scale (WP3) and Dissemination and Communication activities (WP5).
Implementation of WP1 and WP5 occurs along the whole project, and does not require staff members secondments. WP1: leader organisation is UNISS, several tasks are accomplished and required deliverables released. WP5 leader is UNISS: several task as Project Website building, Dissemination and Communication plan, and relative deliverables, as well as participation to International Conferences to present result of research activity were carried out. Some deviations occurred in the submission time of the deliverables, due to delay in the project starting.
The WP2 and WP3 foresee many secondments of staff members from all the organisations.
The total number of researcher months in period 1 was 36.5 while the one originally foreseen was 72, and reduced to 37 after the amendment . This was needed after the resignation of a SME originally involved in the consortium, and approved in February 2019. The consortium change and delay in the starting of the project caused some deviations and secondment plan rescheduling, reset up by the amendment.
The WP2 (months 2-30), is leaded by UNISS, while WP3 (19-37) by UNISS, UCH and Monolithos. Activity is addressed to the research on innovative materials and solutions for CO2 storage and conversion, at lab level.
Main results:
• The study of mechanochemical activation of the Olivine in presence of H2O and under CO2, was carried out under different experimental conditions, and the chemical transformation, involving relative solid and gas phases, revealed the formation of light hydrocarbons and serpentinization of olivine followed by solid carbonate formation..
• The preparation of porous materials to be tested as photo catalysts for CO2 conversion. Activity has been focused on the preparation of tailored porous systems able to be decorated by nanosized systems able to improve photoactivity properties of the systems.
• Investigation on CO2 capture technology using porous materials and free-metal carbon membranes: Graphene and Ni/graphene systems, and porous liquid systems, specifically, properly functionalised -cyclodestrines.
• The study of the interactions between complex metal hydrides based on Mg, and CO2 involved the complex metal hydrides Mg2FeH6 and Mg2NiH4. The conversion mechanism in the case of Mg2FeH6 follows the reversed water-gas shift reaction which then continues with the methanation of CO in presence of H2O vapor.
• The theoretical investigation by molecular dynamics simulation, of the properties and structure of relevant2028 interfaces involving molten alkali carbonates.
Two papers published in international journals and are, at present, under embargo; 2 more papers are submitted and under evaluation by referees. Several contributions were also presented at international conferemces.