Project description
Making carbon-neutral fuel and chemical manufacturing commercially viable
The electrochemical reduction of CO2 is a promising technology for manufacturing carbon-neutral fuels and chemicals that use renewable electricity. However, current electrocatalysts prevent the process from being economically feasible. The main reason is that the electrocatalyst properties needed to cut CO2 have yet to be conclusively identified. The EU-funded CO2RR VALCAT project aims to gain better insight into such properties for producing high-quality electrocatalysts that could be applied to working devices right away. To do so, it will use the d-band structure of transition metals and synthesise, pretreat, characterise and test intermetallic electrocatalysts. It will also discover electrocatalysts to identify intermetallic alloys that show potential.
Objective
Electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction is a promising technology for producing carbon-neutral fuels and chemicals using renewable electricity. Unfortunately, contemporary electrocatalysts lack the activity required to make the process commercially viable. The search for electrocatalysts with superior activity has been hindered by the fact that the electrocatalyst properties required to reduce carbon dioxide have not been definitively identified. Herein, I propose to utilize the d-band structure of a transition metal electrocatalysts as a descriptor for its electrocatalytic activity. The d-band structure of transition metals normally incapable of carbon dioxide reduction will be tuned to resemble those of known electrocatalysts via the formation of strong intermetallic bonds with ionic character. These intermetallic electrocatalysts will be synthesized in a thin film format and transferred into an ultra-high vacuum system where they will be pretreated, characterized, and tested in an inert and integrated environment, enabling the systematic elucidation of the impact of d-band structure on carbon dioxide reduction activity. Following this approach, novel electrocatalysts will be discovered with superior activity to the state-of-the-art electrocatalysts. Once promising intermetallic alloys are identified, their activity will be quantified as a function of their surface atomic density via epitaxial intermetallic thin film growth on crystallographically oriented Si wafers. If undercoordinated surfaces exhibit superior electrocatalytic activity, intermetallic mass-selected nanoparticles will be synthesized and their activity quantified as a function of partizle size. Thus, the proposed research project aims to develope a fundamental understanding of the electrocatalysts properties required to reduce carbon dioxide and exploit these insights to develope superior electrocatalysts that could be immediately employed in working devices.
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 chemical sciences catalysis electrocatalysis
- engineering and technology materials engineering coating and films
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nano-materials
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels
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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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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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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.
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF
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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) H2020-MSCA-IF-2018
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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.
2800 KONGENS LYNGBY
Denmark
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.