MENACE-CO2 · MEtal NAnoClusters for Electrocatalytic CO2 conversion
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2021-09-01 → 2024-05-12
- EU contribution
- €172,932
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
MEtal NAnoClusters for Electrocatalytic CO2 conversion
This project aims to address the development of advanced catalysts based on metal nanoclusters (MNCs) for efficiently converting CO2 through electrochemical processes (EC CO2RR). The significance lies in tackling environmental challenges by enhancing the activity and selectivity of CO2 conversion, potentially contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This project aims to address the development of advanced catalysts based on metal nanoclusters (MNCs) for efficiently converting CO2 through electrochemical processes (EC CO2RR). The significance lies in tackling environmental challenges by enhancing the activity and selectivity of CO2 conversion, potentially contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The specific objectives include: 1) Achieving fundamental understanding of MNCs as catalysts for the electroreduction of CO2, such as insight into size and composition dependence and an in-depth understanding of the catalytic mechanisms through correlation of behavior and structure (WP1). 2) To tune their catalytic performance, by surface modification of MNCs with molecular metal oxides to enhance the adsorption of CO2 (WP2). 3) To immobilize catalysts into nanocarbon materials, improving catalyst stability and performance due to the synergy between the support substrate and supported catalyst (WP3).
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Combatting the menace of global warming requires solutions to recycle carbon dioxide (CO2). Electrochemical (EC) CO2 reduction reactions (CO2RR) could potentially solve this problem by the storage of energy from renewable sources in the form of chemical energy in fuels or value-added chemicals in a sustainable manner. However, CO2 is a highly stable molecule and catalysts are needed to overcome its kinetically sluggish reduction. Despite the considerable progress in the design of metallic nanoparticle (NP) catalysts, the polydispersity of conventional NPs limits the fundamental understanding of structure-activity relationships, which remains the bottleneck for further catalyst development. To overcome this problem, I propose the utilization of a novel class of catalysts that lie in the transition regime between small molecules and NPs: Atomically precise ligand-protected metal nanoclusters (MNCs). Contrary to NPs, MNCs are monodisperse particles with a defined composition that can be structurally characterized at the atomic level. The aim of this project is to develop the full potential of MNCs for catalytic EC CO2RR i) by studying MNC structure-activity relationships, including size, protecting ligands and metal composition; ii) by tuning their catalytic performance, modifying MNCs with molecular metal-oxides to enhance CO2 adsorption; and iii) by their immobilization into nanocarbon materials, improving catalyst stability and performance due to the synergy between the support substrate and supported catalyst. The goal of the MENACE-CO2 project is to shed light into the precise correlation of structure with catalytic properties, enabling the rational optimization of this novel type of catalysts. Moreover, this project will open new perspectives by engineering nanocomposites, recognizing the roles of each component and how they synergize to achieve their properties to, ultimately, open new directions in CO2 conversion.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE VALENCIA · ValenciaCoordinatorSpain
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union