Achieving the objectives outlined in the PD2PI project significantly advanced the state of the art and shaped the socio-economic landscape in multiple ways. The project aimed to develop a new generation of highly qualified scientists capable of working in the academic and business sectors while also serving as intermediaries in the international transfer of knowledge and technology.
PD2PI focused on recruiting postdoctoral researchers to conduct interdisciplinary research projects at the forefront of modern science, integrating chemistry, physics, mathematics, biology, and materials science. The research fields within PD2PI were aligned with key strategies underpinning H2020, as well as regional and national priorities, including SMART specializations such as Healthy Society; Circular Economy; Bio-economy agri-food, forestry, and environment; Innovative Technologies & Industrial Processes; and Sustainable Energy.
Recruiting ambitious, highly skilled, and accomplished scientists greatly elevated IChF’s research capabilities and broadened its collaborative network, reinforcing its role as a driver of innovation within regional and national economies. The project fostered dynamic partnerships with prestigious academic institutions, including École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lancaster University, Comenius University in Bratislava, the University of Regensburg, the University of Tokyo, and numerous others. Within the framework of PD2PI, in synergy with IChF, the fellows also engaged with distinguished industry leaders such as Fluid-Screen, Scope Fluidics, and Fluence, further bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and real-world applications.
Several concepts developed by PD2PI fellows during their fellowship also hold potential applications in industrial and medical solutions. This includes:
• providing a comprehensive theoretical framework for the photoisomerization reactions of retinoids, which can contribute to developing novel therapeutic agents for hereditary eye diseases
• reporting of the first neutral organic catalyst that transfers enantioselectivity via halogen bonds, opening up new, unexplored possibilities in synthesis
• developing a method for quantitative measurements of photogenerated oxygen, crucial for investigating the impact of local dopants on photocatalytic efficiency
• developing a new synthesis method in line with green chemistry principles, which involved modifying the Fenton reaction to produce thin polymeric pedot layers at the liquid-liquid interface
• inventing three-dimensional cell culture methods with multimodal detection, offering potential applications in drug development and regenerative medicine
• developing more sensitive biosensors and advancing our understanding of electric charge behaviour in environments with statistically small charge numbers
• creating new synthesis pathways for bi- and multi-metallic dichalcogenides, eliminating the need for solvents
• advancements in sustainable inorganic synthesis and oxygen electrocatalytic reactions on non-precious metal catalysts, showing promise for significant progress in energy and environmental technologies
• the development of a silica-based aggregate carrier for enzyme immobilization in catalysis, with potential applications in medicine
• better understanding of the stability of perovskite-based solar cells, which are vital for their future commercialization and widespread use.
The research carried out under the PD2PI project transcended the academic realm, demonstrating good commercialization potential. The fellows and their collaborators will continue to develop and refine these pioneering concepts, further driving innovation and real-world applications.
