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H2020Doctoral network2016–2020

PHOTOTRAIN · ENTREPRENEURING DYNAMIC SELF-ORGANIZED INTERFACES IN PHOTOCATALYSIS: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY TRAINING NETWORK CONVERTING LIGHT INTO PRODUCTS

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2016-10-01 → 2020-09-30
EU contribution
€3,630,212
Participants
14
Scheme
MSCA-ITN-ETN

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners. CORDIS does not always give exact coordinates for projects before 2014. These points are placed at city or country level.

Results in brief

ENTREPRENEURING DYNAMIC SELF-ORGANIZED INTERFACES IN PHOTOCATALYSIS: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY TRAINING NETWORK CONVERTING LIGHT INTO PRODUCTS

Launched officially in October 2016 and completed at the end of September 2020, the PHOTOTRAIN network aimed to implement photo-catalytic technologies for triggering stereoselective organocatalytic transformations, which has been proven to hold promising applications in pharmaceuticals and solar fuels production for sustainable energy. The network trained 14 ESRs from around the world. They were trained in an interdisciplinary and intersectoral environment that was context-sensitive to industrial valorisation of fundamental research and its implementation into exploitable chemical processes; interdisciplinary and cross-fertilizing, combining concepts from different disciplines: chemical engineering, photophysics, photochemistry, organic synthesis, supramolecular chemistry, device engineering, process design, organo and heterogenous catalysis integrating aspects such as transfer of technology, scale-up, valorisation of fundamental science, environmental aspects, energy and ultimately quality of life. The challenge of developing and transferring light-fuelled processes from a proof-of-principle to an exploitable process is to embark upon a dynamic configuration in which photoactive species are kept separated, act independently and are finally recycled. In particular, through the adoption of a microfluidic system in which programmed different phases allow the formation of photoactive interfaces, the team aimed to implement photo-catalytic technologies at the industrial level for triggering stereoselective organocatalytic transformations (i.e., pharmaceutical applications) and/or solar fuels production. The main focus of the network was the conversion of solar energy starting from the fundamental bases (photophysics), including the design of photoactive molecules (organic chemistry) and the materials (colloidal chemistry), the study of the photoinduced processes (photochemistry and microscopy), performing and studying the reactions (physical chemistry), building a microfluidic photoreactor (physics and engineering), and planning an industrial-scalable chemical process (private sector). PHOTOTRAIN ESRs also had the opportunity to mobilize between network partners supported by research visits and secondments, allowing them tointegrate in the network with the aim to help them interact with their fellows and within different research, development and innovation environments.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

The global need to move current human technologies into a sustainable future will have a great impact for the world of chemistry and related industries. In close concert with other disciplines, chemistry will be increasingly solicited to identify solutions that are practical, affordable and ultimately sustainable. To meet these objectives, not only research, but also chemical education will need profound reforms that have to be contextualized in the multidisciplinary and intersectoral picture of a sustainable development. It is propelled by these societal needs that, by educating and practising 14 ESRs, PHOTOTRAIN will ensure photo-triggered chemical process to play its central role in sustainability. By capitalising on the basic principles of supramolecular chemistry to program dynamic self-organized photoactive interfaces, it is intended to raise the creativity, knowledge, skills and capacity of the ESRs to conceive new ideas for reforming current industrial transformations into a new generation of “light-triggered” processes. The challenge of developing and transferring light-fuelled processes from a proof-of-principle to an exploitable process is to embark upon a dynamic configuration in which photoactive species are kept separated, act independently and are finally recycled. In particular, through the adoption of a microfluidic system in which programmed different phases allow the formation of photoactive interfaces, it is planned to implement photo-catalytic technologies at the industrial level for triggering stereoselective organocatalytic transformations (i.e., pharmaceutical applications) and/or solar fuels production. By the organisation of targeted individual projects and interdisciplinary secondements, ESRs will be guided toward attractive early-stage career opportunities as researchers, process chemists, chemical engineers and research managers in collective forms at various academic and research institutes, small and large enterprises, and NGOs.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNA · BolognaCoordinatorItaly
  • A.P.E. RESEARCH SRL · TriesteItaly
  • CARDIFF UNIVERSITY · CARDIFFUnited Kingdom
  • CHIROTECH TECHNOLOGY LIMITED · CAMBRIDGECity levelUnited Kingdom
  • CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE · RomaItaly
  • DR. REDDY'S LABORATORIES (EU) LIMITED · BEVERLEYUnited Kingdom
  • ELVESYS · PARISFrance
  • FUNDACIO INSTITUT CATALA D'INVESTIGACIO QUIMICA · TARRAGONASpain
  • KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN · LeuvenBelgium
  • Organisation internationale des Sciences chimiques pour le développement · NamurBelgium
  • SINCHEM · BolognaItaly
  • TECHNION - ISRAEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · HaifaIsrael
  • UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION · ParisFrance
  • UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TRIESTE · TriesteItaly

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union