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Engineering Bio-Inspired Systems for the Conversion of Solar Energy to Hydrogen

Description du projet

Une approche bio-inspirée de conversion de l’énergie solaire en hydrogène stockable

Le processus de photosynthèse des plantes commence par l’absorption de l’énergie par des complexes récoltant la lumière. Ces complexes pigments-protéines peuvent absorber et transférer très rapidement et efficacement l’énergie vers le centre de réaction, le site de conversion de l’énergie solaire. Inspiré par ce processus naturel, le projet BioInspired_SolarH2, financé par l’UE, a pour ambition de concevoir des systèmes artificiels capables de convertir l’énergie solaire en hydrogène: un combustible propre et renouvelable. À cette fin, les chercheurs construiront des assemblages chromophore-protéine robustes capables d’exploiter la cohérence pour assurer une collecte et une conversion efficaces de l’énergie solaire. Pour aller plus loin dans l’étude de ces systèmes, ils appliqueront des méthodes spectroscopiques à l’état stable et à résolution temporelle. L’hydrogène combustible stockable constitue une solution de remplacement très prometteuse aux combustibles fossiles.

Objectif

With this proposal, I aim to achieve the efficient conversion of solar energy to hydrogen. The overall objective is to engineer bio-inspired systems able to convert solar energy into a separation of charges and to construct devices by coupling these systems to catalysts in order to drive sustainable and effective water oxidation and hydrogen production.

The global energy crisis requires an urgent solution, we must replace fossil fuels for a renewable energy source: Solar energy. However, the efficient and inexpensive conversion and storage of solar energy into fuel remains a fundamental challenge. Currently, solar-energy conversion devices suffer from energy losses mainly caused by disorder in the materials used. The solution to this problem is to learn from nature. In photosynthesis, the photosystem II reaction centre (PSII RC) is a pigment-protein complex able to overcome disorder and convert solar photons into a separation of charges with near 100% efficiency. Crucially, the generated charges have enough potential to drive water oxidation and hydrogen production.

Previously, I have investigated the charge separation process in the PSII RC by a collection of spectroscopic techniques, which allowed me to formulate the design principles of photosynthetic charge separation, where coherence plays a crucial role. Here I will put these knowledge into action to design efficient and robust chromophore-protein assemblies for the collection and conversion of solar energy, employ organic chemistry and synthetic biology tools to construct these well defined and fully controllable assemblies, and apply a complete set of spectroscopic methods to investigate these engineered systems.

Following the approach Understand, Engineer, Implement, I will create a new generation of bio-inspired devices based on abundant and biodegradable materials that will drive the transformation of solar energy and water into hydrogen, an energy-rich molecule that can be stored and transported.

Régime de financement

ERC-STG - Starting Grant

Institution d’accueil

FUNDACIO PRIVADA INSTITUT CATALA D'INVESTIGACIO QUIMICA
Contribution nette de l'UE
€ 1 500 000,00
Adresse
AVENIDA PAISSOS CATALANS 16
43007 Tarragona
Espagne

Voir sur la carte

Région
Este Cataluña Tarragona
Type d’activité
Research Organisations
Liens
Coût total
€ 1 500 000,00

Bénéficiaires (1)