The successful outcome of the project was based on a strong collaboration between the 6 academic and 4 industrial partners, supported by 9 Supervisory Board meetings organized every 6 months, and a large interdisciplinary and an extensive intersectorial secondment scheme (59 person months). The research was organized in 5 work packages (WP).
WP1 has allowed the deposition of monometallic and bimetallic Au, Ag, Pd, Cu, Zn, Ni, Ga -based gas-phase clusters, nanoparticles and thin films on a large variety of silicon and carbon-based flat supports and powders using different types of complementary laser ablation and magnetron-sputtering cluster beam and thin films deposition systems. These materials were extensively characterized ex- and in situ in WP2 by a unique combination of advanced techniques including electron microscopy, ambient XPS and X-ray absorption spectroscopy at various synchrotrons using novel dedicated operando grazing incidence gas-flow and electrochemical cells developed in this project. WP3 has extensively developed the theoretical understanding of the electronic and catalytic properties of few-atom monometallic Cu, CuOx, Pd, Co and bimetallic CuZn and CuPd deposited and free-clusters. In parallel WP4 investigated the structure and reactivity of CuOx and VCon bi-metal-oxide free-clusters towards CO2 by mass spectrometry and advanced IR spectroscopy. WP5 demonstrated the exceptional thermo- and electrocatalytic properties of several types of cluster, nanoparticle and thin film modified carbon paper. A novel high-pressure gas-flow microreactor dedicated to testing ultra-small amounts of catalysts on flat substrates was successfully developed within the project. The first prototype of a gas diffusion CME-EC electrode was tested in realistic operative condition.
7 network-wide training activities were organized: Kick-off training on thermo- and electro-catalysts (Leuven, Belgium, Sep 2021); 3 Catchy schools on computational methods, and catalysis and operando characterization techniques (Budapest, Hungary, Apr 2022; Gilleleje, Denmark Aug 2022; Villigen, Switzerland, May 2023); Catchy’s ISSPIC satellite meeting (Berlin, Germany, Aug 2023); ClusterCat 2024 (conference organized by the ESRs to explore advancements in the field of cluster-based catalysts, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, Jan 2024); and a career launch workshop (online Apr 2024)
Dissemination
• 25 publications in peer-reviewed journals and 15+ additional papers that are submitted or in preparation.
• Catchy fellows have made 43 presentations (poster or oral) at international conferences and 17 at workshops (outside Catchy).
• Catchy fellows have taken part in 23 outreach events and made many contributions to social media LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
• Each ESR has made a three-minute microdoc video which is available in a dedicated Catchy You Tube Channel at www.youtube.com/@catchyetnproject6091/videos that has reached more than 900 views.
• Catchy website at www.catchy-etn.eu that centralized the network information, recruitment, and the registrations for events, has been visited more than 200,000 times by visitors in majority from the USA, France, Belgium, Germany, UK, China, Japan and India who have viewed a total of more than 2,000,000 pages.
