COMPLEX · Control and Optimization of Energy Flow in Complex Molecular Networks
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2016-04-01 → 2018-07-08
- EU contribution
- €171,461
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF-EF-ST
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Control and Optimization of Energy Flow in Complex Molecular Networks
The production of sustainable energy that generates a clear and net greenhouse gas saving is one of the main objectives of the EU. Nature has already provided us with the most efficient energy infrastructures known, since photosynthesis provides virtually all the energy sustaining the biosphere. A deeper understanding of photosynthetic systems, and how energy transfers within their different sub-units, would show us the way to efficient energy flow, opening the path to the (nano-)fabrication of highly efficient solar cells and energy transmission networks. Researchers from different disciplines including Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Engineering are striving to understand this process and emulate in artificial devices the light harvesting, initial conversion of optical to electrical energy, energy flow and electrical to chemical energy conversion process of natural photosynthesis. The photosynthetic apparatus in biological organisms features a complex network ranging from tens to up to thousands of interconnected chlorophylls. After the initial conversion of light into electronic excitations (excitons), the exciton transverses a multi-connected potential-energy landscape on its way from the antenna to the reaction center, where in a next step chemical reactions are triggered. With the advent of laser technologies and faster computing processors and algorithms, advanced spectroscopic experiments and quantum-chemical calculations have been developed. Questions that need to be answered include the role of quantum coherence and vibrational environmental states in the energy transport and the theoretical modelling of spectroscopic experiments. The COMPLEX project focuses on the understanding and modelling of energy transfer in photosynthetic complexes. We have developed and identified novel numerical methods to model and understand the energy transport in complex networks. We have validated the computational tools for a direct comparison of model-based predictions with experimental spectral data of photosynthetic complexes.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
The production of sustainable energy that generates a clear and net greenhouse gas saving is one of the main EU objectives. Nature provides with the most efficient energy infrastructures known today. A deeper understanding of photosynthetic systems, and how energy transfers within its different subunits would show us the way to efficient energy flow, opening the path to the fabrication of highly efficient solar cells and transmission networks.The aim of the COMPLEX project is to provide insight to the energy conversion and transfer in complex molecular systems. We will develop and identify methods used in quantum mechanics, statistics and quantum information theory to model the energy transport in complex networks. Optimisation methods from mathematics and engineering will be applied to analyse biolological and artificially fabricated systems. Findings will be transfered to other related systems such as nano-engineered networks of nanofibers and polymers, which are designed for efficient transport with applications in organic solar cells and light-emitting devices and to further complex systems.This breakthrough in the state-of-the-art in terms of understanding energy flow in complex networks will take place by applying and transferring the specialised knowledge of Dr. Mirta Rodriguez, a Physics Researcher back from a research career break and specialist in the field of complex quantum systems dynamics, through scientific leadership to the research team at ZIB, where the computational infrastructure and knowledge and will be available to the Fellow. Specialist knowledge in applied technologies and innovation management gained by the Felow during her career break from R&D in Physics, will ensure that the results attained within the COMPLEX project will not only remain as basic research. Providing the European energy sector proper understanding of the energy flow mechanisms in complex networks will be revolutionary for sustainable energy production and energy
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- ZUSE-INSTITUT BERLIN · BERLIN DAHLEMCoordinatorGermany
Links
- View on CORDIS
- DOI: 10.3030/707636
- http://www.zib.de/projects/control-and-optimization-energy-flow-complex-molecular-networks
Data: CORDIS, © European Union