Objective The project ASPAir intends to go beyond the state-of-the-art in the fields of chemistry and materials science, by accelerating the discovery of a new class of photoresponsive high surface area metal organic frameworks (MOFs) and MOF-based composites with the essential application of improving indoor air quality by degradating volatile organic carbons (VOCs) such as acetone, ethanol, benzene, etc. This approach will take advantage of the applicant's expertise in photocatalysis with the world-class expertise of the host institution in MOF synthesis and charactersation, chromophore synthesis and molecular simulations. High-throughput automated microwave heating technology will be employed to screen hundreds of reaction conditions in order to isolate porous MOFs based on selected conducting chromophores and high valence and/or transition metal centres. In addition, porous and visible light active MOF crystals will be combined with nanoparticles based on reducing metal centres facilitating electric contact to generate photoresponsive MOF@Nanoparticle composites. Both MOFs and MOF based composites are going to be characterised using a plethora of techniques currently available within the host institution; their hydrolytic stability will be tested under different relative humidities replicating typical conditions in residential homes. The materials will be loaded with controlled concentrations of VOCs in order to check their stability and assess the strength of interactions occurring between the guest VOCs and host materials. Both MOFs and MOF based composites will be tested for the photocatalytic degradation of VOCs and their short and long-term photocatlytic effectiveness will be evaluated by degrading multiple VOCs simultaneously over long periods of time mimicking realistic indoor air conditions. Whilst being a high-risk project, the impact of the discovery of next generation materials with superior photocatalytic performances will be high. Fields of science natural scienceschemical sciencescatalysisphotocatalysisengineering and technologymaterials engineeringcompositesengineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringair pollution engineeringnatural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsspectroscopyabsorption spectroscopyengineering and technologynanotechnologynano-materials Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Main Programme H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility Topic(s) MSCA-IF-2015-EF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) Call for proposal H2020-MSCA-IF-2015 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF Coordinator ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE Net EU contribution € 175 419,60 Address BATIMENT CE 3316 STATION 1 1015 Lausanne Switzerland See on map Region Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Région lémanique Vaud Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 175 419,60