SOREC2

The project aims at setting the grounds for a renewable energy technology, where advanced chemistry and optics work hand in hand to achieve the most efficient sunlight powered CO₂ transformation into C₂ value-added chemicals, specifically solar fuels such as ethanol.

SOREC2 will explore the combination of a mediator with molecular catalysts, enabling CO₂ reduction beyond CO at mild applied potentials supressing the dominant formation of H₂ or undesired derived products like methane (CH₂). The project will also combine new developments of the mediator with a Copper (Cu) electrode to facilitate the formation of C₂ products such as ethanol or ethylene.

SOREC2 proposes a novel photo-electrochemical cell (PEC) multilayered configuration that surpasses the conventional photoanode and high open circuit voltage (Voc) perovskite (PVK) cell combination incorporating light trapping nano-structures and a low band gap transparent organic photovoltaic (T-OPV) cell.

The chemistry and optics components converge in a highly transparent photoanode, where a molecular-based water oxidation catalyst (WOC) based on Cu anchored to a transparent oxide thin film will ensure high current densities at low catalyst loading.

All the developments mentioned above will be integrated within a compact PEC ensemble effectively reducing CO₂ into valuable C₂ compounds using sunlight energy and water as the sole energy and electron sources, respectively, while generating oxygen as the only harmless byproduct.

Our role

Thanks to its experience in modelling, simulations, and cradle to cradle design and engineering, Gemmate contributes to setting the route to take the laboratory PEC prototype designed by the consortium to a technological development beyond TRL 4. To inform the cell design, GEM intends to build a comprehensive multi-physics model of the reactor starting from a planar cell for the CO₂ reduction. However, since CO₂ reduction conducted in electrochemical cells with planar electrodes is severely limited by mass transport across the hydrodynamic electrode boundary layer, GEM aims to enhance the batch cell model by introducing a multi-physics model of a gas-diffusion electrode (GDE) for CO₂ reduction, making the model capable to aid the proper design of an upscaled reactor.