Project description
Catalytically greener: propylene production through advanced catalysis
A sufficient and sustainable propylene industry is essential to the EU’s prosperity and competitiveness, yet it faces a significant gap and relies on expensive or hazardous catalysts. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the HEC4PDH project aims to develop new catalysts that harness the ‘confinement effect’ to improve production efficiency. By applying advanced imaging tools, such as environmental TEM and sophisticated computational techniques, HEC4PDH will focus on setting ambitious new standards for stable and selective propylene production. Beyond its technical goals, the project will strengthen vital ties between academia and industry through strategic collaborations. Ultimately, HEC4PDH is expected to replace unsustainable materials with affordable alternatives, accelerating the transition towards a greener economy and fostering future scientific leadership in Europe.
Objective
"An efficient and sustainable propylene industry is fuelling the EU's prosperity and competitiveness. Developing the next-generation catalysts for propane dehydrogenation (PDH) to fill the ""propylene gap"" is scientifically challenging and technologically important. The proposed project entitled ""Harnessing Effect of Confinement for Efficient On-Purpose PDH"" (HEC4PDH) aims to push the development and understanding of high performance PDH catalyst beyond the state-of-the-art by exploiting confinement effect of supported catalysts. This project is planned to be carried out at the world-renowned Weckhuysen Group at Utrecht University. The developed catalysts are targeted to set new standards to the field (>95% C3H6 Sel., >100 mmol C3H6/gcat/h with >1000 h of stable operation). The structure-activity relationships of PDH catalysis will be uncovered with advanced environmental TEM, operando modulation excitation spectroscopies and computational methodologies. A prototype catalyst has already been synthesized and evaluated with exceptional activity by the applicant at Peking University. Success in the proposed study is expected to have substantial scientific, economic and social impacts: Improvement or replacement of the current expensive PtSn-based catalysts and hazardous CrOx-based catalysts will result in significant acceleration of the EU's action towards more affordable, secure and sustainable energy. Through cross-disciplinary collaborations with other famous institutes worldwide (University of Antwerp, ETH, etc.), the researcher will not only refine his skill in catalysis investigations, but also strengthen the connections between academia and industry and develop unique approaches for networking and knowledge dissemination. Achieving the ambitious goal of this fellowship will help the candidate becoming an independent academic leader in Netherlands/EU in the near future, and pursue his life-long commitment to scientific exploration."
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.
You need to log in or register to use this function
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.
-
HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
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
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
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) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
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.
3584 CS Utrecht
Netherlands
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.