Objective
Biological or molecular catalysts built from Earth-abundant elements are envisioned as economically viable alternatives to the scarce noble metals that are currently used in renewable energy conversion. However, their fragility and O2 sensitivity have been obstacles to their adoption in industry. We have recently proposed O2 quenching matrices for protecting intrinsically O2-sensitive catalysts for use in anodic (oxidative) processes. We have demonstrated that even hydrogenases, the highly sensitive metalloenzymes that oxidize H2, can be used under the harsh conditions encountered in operating fuel cells. However, attempts to reverse the concept for the protection of cathodic (reductive) processes, such as H2 evolution, have been unsuccessful so far. In this case, the electrode generates the reducing agents in the form of electrons, which are needed for both H2 generation and reductive O2 quenching. The competition between the two reactions results in insufficient protection from O2 and deactivation of the catalyst.
The objective is to design an alternative electron pathway that relies on H2 as a charge carrier to efficiently shuttle the reductive force to the matrix boundaries and quench the incoming O2. We will develop novel electron mediators with dual functionalities to enable the reversible H2/H+ interconversion and to achieve the complete reduction of O2 to water. We will focus on organic systems, as well as metal complexes based on Earth-abundant elements with tunable ligand spheres, to adjust their redox potentials for the desired direction of the electron flow and toward fast O2 reduction kinetics. The synthetic efforts will be supported by electrochemical modelling to predict the required properties of the redox matrix for efficient protection. After establishing the protection principle, we will demonstrate its practical use for implementing sensitive bio-catalysts for electrochemical H2 evolution under conditions relevant to energy conversion processes.
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: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels renewable energy
- natural sciences chemical sciences catalysis biocatalysis
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels fuel cells
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels energy conversion
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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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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
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.
ERC-STG - Starting Grant
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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) ERC-2016-STG
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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.
80333 Muenchen
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.