Project description
Rational design of next-generation exsolved catalysts for methanol production from CO2
CO2 hydrogenation to methanol is a promising way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere while producing methanol for industrial use, for fuels and as a building block of other chemical compounds. The process typically uses catalytic nanoparticles. However, although supported nanoparticle systems can have potentially high activity levels, they tend to exhibit problems with long-term durability. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the MEXCAT project will design next-generation stable and selective catalytic nanoparticles enabling higher methanol yield. The team will harness nanoparticle exsolution, a recently discovered process providing a relatively simple, single-step, synthetic pathway to produce supported nanoparticles that combine high stability with high activity.
Objective
The European Union goal of a 80-95% decrease of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 requires, among other strategies, new functional materials and sustainable approaches for clean energy generation and pollutant abatement. The chemical valorisation of CO2 is a highly promising green solution involving the recycling and reuse of CO2 effluents as carbon source for fuels and chemicals, such as methanol. The low CO2 conversion, triggered by catalytic nanoparticles (NPs) deactivation by sintering and limited selectivity, however, limits its industrial growth. The first aim of this proposal is to design next-generation stable and selective catalysts for the CO2 hydrogenation to methanol, that can rival state-of-the-art materials through the ambitious achievement of 10% methanol yield. This will be done by NP exsolution, a novel route to achieve stable anchored NPs, which has barely been explored for this application, despite the superior catalytic properties unique to exsolved systems. To then unravel the lack of fundamental understanding in the catalytic mechanisms of exsolved systems, we will characterise the correlation of their structure with their reactivity and selectivity via a unique in situ/operando approach (second aim). The role of active sites such as exsolved NPs and structural defects will be elucidated by in situ/operando Infrared (FTIR) and Raman studies; we will monitor the composition and strain evolution of the materials surfaces during catalytic processing by state-of-the-art in situ photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The unique expertise of the host supervisor in CO2 hydrogenation catalysts testing and characterisation by in situ/operando FTIR and Raman, and of the secondment group in XPS studies of catalysts on-stream, coupled with my experience in exsolved systems design and in situ TEM characterisation will advance the fields of exsolution and CO2 valorisation catalysis, allowing me to gain a unique skillset.
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.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering waste management waste treatment processes recycling
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy
- natural sciences chemical sciences organic chemistry alcohols
- natural sciences chemical sciences catalysis
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nano-materials
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01
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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.
10129 Torino
Italy
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