Project description
Membrane-free electrohydrogenation electrolyser supports greener hydrogenation
Hydrogenation – adding hydrogen to unsaturated organic compounds – traditionally relies on fossil fuel-derived hydrogen. It is used in over 70 % of fine chemical production processes. Renewable-powered electrochemical hydrogenation (electrohydrogenation) is a cleaner alternative that sources hydrogen from water. Current systems are expensive and suffer from incompatibility between membranes and reaction systems. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the MemFreeElectro project aims to develop a novel membrane-free electrohydrogenation electrolyser, demonstrated through the conversion of nitrobenzene to aniline. Progressing from proof of concept to a lab-scale prototype and techno-economic assessment, this interdisciplinary approach combining electrochemistry, reactor design and process engineering could deliver a scalable, cost-effective green hydrogenation platform adaptable to a wide range of chemical processes.
Objective
The ongoing green transition requires the replacement of carbon-intensive chemical processes with green alternatives. One such important process is hydrogenation, which is involved in more than 70% of fine chemical production processes. Hydrogenation is the addition of hydrogen to unsaturated organic compounds, a process that has been traditionally carbon-intensive due to the use of fossil-fuel-derived hydrogen. As a green alternative, renewable-powered electrochemical hydrogenation or electrohydrogenation, where hydrogen is sourced directly from water as protons, offers a solution that not only eliminates the CO2 emissions, but also comes with economic and logistical advantages. The MemFreeElectro project addresses these opportunities by proposing a novel membraneless electrochemical cell or electrolyzer for electrohydrogenation of nitrobenzene to aniline as the present case study. The proposed electrolyzer design is based on a membraneless design concept that solves the problem of membrane-reaction system incompatibility, in electrohydrogenation with common membrane/separator-based designs. Additionally, the membraneless design also has lower capital and operational expenditures. In this project, a novel membraneless electrohydrogenation electrolyzer design will be established, from the proof-of-concept to a 50 cm² lab-scale prototype, followed by a technoeconomic assessment. This interdisciplinary project combines electro-organic synthesis, reactor design, and process engineering to establish a scalable and green electrohydrogenation process technology, that can be adapted to other important electrochemical processes. Thus, the MemFreeElectro project falls in line with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 i.e. Climate Action, also contributing to EU’s scientific excellence. The project will also have a significant impact on my career, enabling me to develop highly important technical as well as management, leadership, and valorization related skills.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
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)
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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-2025-PF
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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.
44801 Bochum
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.