Project description
Cutting fuel cell costs with aerogel catalysts
Proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) could revolutionise energy conversion and distribution, particularly for vehicle propulsion and portable power generation. The high loadings of the costly catalyst materials used at the cathodes are currently posing a barrier to commercialisation. Within the EU-funded LAACat project, researchers are leveraging a unique class of materials called metal aerogels. They are composed of a 3D network of nanosized metal particles and combine the favourable properties of metals and aerogels. The project aims to scale the sol-gel process it has developed to make it part of regular metallic aerogel production. Successful upscaling of the technology will allow use of metallic aerogels in the production of commercial PEMFCs.
Objective
Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have attracted considerable worldwide attention because of their high energy conversion efficiency and low environmental impact. Their commercialization, however, is inhibited by the high loadings of the costly catalyst materials used at their cathodes, which is in turn related to their insufficient oxygen reduction activity and inadequate long-term stability. A promising solution that simultaneously addresses all these issues is the design of pure metallic, unsupported catalysts with extended surfaces. A particularly promising class of unsupported catalyst that has recently emerged is that of metallic aerogels, which consists of extended metal backbone nano-networks. This exclusive class of materials combines the unique properties of metals (such as good electrical and thermal conductivity, catalytic activity, and ductility/malleability) with the unique properties of common aerogels (high surface area, ultralow density, and high porosity). The fabrication of pure metallic aerogels with metal backbones by the direct sol-gel method was recently achieved for the first time by our group. These pure metallic aerogels have excellent performance potential in electrocatalytic applications.Successful upscaling of the straightforward aerogel preparation procedure will allow for subsequent testing of the material in market-ready PEMFCs with a 30 cm2 electrode area. The aim of this proof of concept project is therefore to create a prototype PEMFC using bimetallic aerogel electrocatalysts from large-scale synthesis (from technology readiness level 3 to 5) and design the optimal route-to-market strategy that would ensure swift adoption of our technology in an industrial setting. This prototype and the business case will be introduced at commercial conferences and fairs in order to establish contacts to European-based companies and to pave the way for technology transfer and commercialization.
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
- natural sciences chemical sciences polymer sciences
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels fuel cells
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels energy conversion
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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.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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.
ERC-POC-LS - ERC Proof of Concept Lump Sum Pilot
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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) ERC-2019-PoC
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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.
01069 Dresden
Germany
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.