Descripción del proyecto
Un catalizador estable y de bajo coste para la producción de hidrógeno a partir de la disociación del agua
El hidrógeno desempeñará un papel fundamental en un futuro hipocarbónico, ya que puede producirse de forma sostenible por medio de fuentes de energía renovables, como la solar, para disociar moléculas de agua. Los electrolizadores de membrana de intercambio de protones (MIP) son una tecnología consolidada, pero su implantación se ve obstaculizada por la falta de catalizadores estables y rentables que contengan metales no preciosos. En un proyecto anterior financiado con fondos europeos, PhotocatH2ode, se estudió una estructura de polímero de coordinación para el sulfuro de molibdeno amorfo. Se perfeccionó la comprensión de su mecanismo catalítico y se desarrollaron estrategias para solucionar los problemas de corrosión reductora que hasta ahora han limitado la aplicación en los electrolizadores de MIP de este catalizador de evolución de hidrógeno, tan abundante en la corteza terrestre. El proyecto PRODUCE-H2 se creó para optimizar la formulación de este catalizador, ensamblarlo en membranas poliméricas, evaluar su rendimiento y ampliar su producción.
Objetivo
Hydrogen (H2) generated from renewable energies, such as solar and wind, and water has a huge potential as a carbon-free energy vector which can be exploited on demand through fuel cell technologies. Proton-exchange membrane electrolysers (PEMEL) are a mature technology that can be coupled with intermittent renewable power sources. However their wide deployment still depends on innovative breakthroughs regarding the design of alternative catalysts avoiding the use of precious metals and fulfilling three main characteristics: sustainability, cost-effectiveness and stability.
In the “PhotocatH2ode” ERC Frontier Research Starting Grant (consolidator stream), we explored a coordination polymer structure for amorphous molybdenum sulfide (a-MoSx), refined the understanding of its catalytic mechanism (Artero and coll., Nature material 2016) and developed strategies to remedy reductive corrosion issues that so far limited the implementation of such earth-abundant H2 evolution catalysts in PEMEL. We aim at exploiting these new findings in PRODUCE-H2, an ERC Proof of Concept project which proposes to (1) optimize the formulation of these catalytic materials and assemble them in polymer-membranes, (2) assessing their performance and quantifying their stability during long-term tests performed under realistic operating conditions, (3) upscaling their production thanks to a newly developed synthetic process and (4) implementing them in a noble-metal-free PEMEL prototype. PRODUCE-H2 will exploit pre-existing and newly created intellectual property with the aim of proposing a cost-effective industrial solution for PV-coupled on-site hydrogen production. This project will be in close collaboration with Toyota Motor Europe who have been selling fuel cell cars since 2015.
Ámbito científico
- natural scienceschemical scienceselectrochemistryelectrolysis
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrytransition metals
- natural scienceschemical sciencescatalysis
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsfuel cells
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energyhydrogen energy
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
ERC-POC - Proof of Concept GrantInstitución de acogida
75015 PARIS 15
Francia