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NMP-2007-2.4-2 Nanostructured catalysts with tailor-made functional surfaces
Technical content/scope: Innovative sustainable chemical processes having higher energy efficiency and ideally 100% selectivity, require the development of a new generation of catalytic materials with tailored functionality at the surface. Interdisciplinary efforts including from advanced characterisation and modelling to reactivity and kinetics, are expected to enable the mastering of highly complex catalytic processes on the basis of a controlled sequence of surface reactions and of active sites. Structuring the catalyst in terms of nano-reactors and hierarchically organised nano-structures will allow control of the multiscale factors determining reactivity and exploring new functional properties. The focus should be on long term highly innovative research combining these aspects and able to integrate homo-, bio- and heterogeneous catalytic concepts to realise novel catalytic materials.
Funding scheme: Small or medium-scale focused research projects.
Special features: Industrial participation is required.

Expected impact: Achieving zero-waste emissions, selective and highly efficient chemical reactions, new bio-mimicking catalytic transformations, new clean energy sources, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving water and air quality are some of the challenges for the future. Overcoming these challenges will be of crucial importance for the environment, social and economic development and the future industrial competitiveness in Europe as more than 80 % of the processes in the chemical industry depend on catalytic technologies. The development of innovative sustainable chemical processes having higher energy efficiency and close to 100% selectivity is expected.