Projects
Ongoing projects:
Development of GDE-MEA for CO2-electrolysis with low anolyte contribution (EFFORT)
The EFFORT project seeks to advance the technologies necessary for the widespread adoption of CO2 electrolyzers, with a primary goal of developing high-performance devices capable of operating at 2.5 V and 200 mA cm-2. Central to this effort is the creation of non-fluorinated, highly selective Anion Exchange Membranes (AEMs) tailored to reduce (bi)carbonate crossover. Alongside, innovative gas diffusion electrode (GDE)…
Allylic oxidation of hydrocarbons on anodes (ALOHA)
The ALOHA project aims to develop an electrochemically assisted process for the selective oxidation of olefins, such as propene, at the allylic position to produce unsaturated acids like acrylic acid. This process replaces dissolved redox mediators with anode-incorporated mediators inspired by N-hydroxyphthalimide. Operating under mild conditions (<100 °C, low O2 content), the approach minimizes voltage and energy requirements and will…
Accelerated degradation techniques for improving the performance and durability of flow batteries
Flow batteries are a promising technology for the stationary storage of intermittent renewable energy. Yet their commercial prospects are hindered by the lack of techniques to evaluate the durability of the different battery materials. This research project will enhance the performance and durability of flow batteries (FBs) for energy storage applications through the development of accelerated degradation techniques (ADTs). In…
Enhancing electrolyzer and Zirfon seperators for alkaline electrolysis (ELECZIR)
The project aims at developing innovative continuous flow technologies with as prospective industrial implementation. Flow technology is especially useful for continuous processes and can be implemented at different levels going from efficient and economic screening of process conditions to process intensification. At the moment, the application of flow technology is mainly limited to the most typical and simple chemical reactions…
Optimisation of bubble removal in alkaline water electrolysis at industrial current densities
Hydrogen is considered essential for the transition towards carbon neutrality. Currently, however, most hydrogen is derived from fossil fuels, because this is cheaper than producing hydrogen renewably through electrolysis. This cost gap currently impedes the adoption of renewable hydrogen and significant cost reductions are necessary to make it competitive. Crucially, the cost of cell stack components accounts for about half…
Development of a fast screening, electrochemical tool to map and understand corrosion inhibitors for heat transfer fluids
In a first phase of the project, an electrochemical protocol will be established to evaluate the corrosion behaviour of a couple of metals typically applied in heating/cooling systems (i.e. copper, brass, solder, steel, cast iron and aluminium) in the presence of commercially available and commonly applied heat transfer fluid formulations (i.e. Proviflow N, L and FG). This set of tests…
Redox flow batteries charging tomorrow’s world through the in-depth understanding and enhanced control over battery hydrodynamics (RECHARGE)
Electrochemical energy storage is essential if we wish to increase the usage of intermittent energy sources such as windmills and solar panels. With intermittent energy sources it is crucial that energy can be stored to meet demand when production is too low. When targeting stationary storage with large capacity and long storage times, redox flow batteries stand out. However, in…
In-depth understanding of multiphase mass transfer in CO2 electrolyzers through application of engineered, ordered reactor components (TRANSCEND)
To avoid catastrophic climate change, European countries are bound by the European Climate Law to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to become climate-neutral by 2050. To meet this necessary but steep target, radical progress in the technology for carbon capture and utilization (CCU) is needed. Electrochemical reduction of CO2 (eCO2R) is key to aid in the reduction of carbon levels…
Green valorisation of CO2 and Nitrogen compounds for making fertilizers (CONFETI)
CONFETI project proposes the development of a lab-scale validated innovative technology that is able to utilise and electrochemically convert CO2 and N2 directly from air or flue gases without the use of critical raw materials and using renewable energy sources. By the production of urea from N (N2 and/or NO3–) and CO2, the project aims to ensure a circular and…
Valorisation of CO2 waste streams into polyester for a sustainable circular textile industry (Threading-CO2)
The textile industry is the fourth largest industry in the world with the global volume of fiber production for textile manufacturing reaching 110 million metric tons in 2020. At the same time, the textile industry is one of the most polluting industries worldwide with the highest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions corresponding to 10% of the global emissions. Polyester (PET) is…
Past projects:
NuCryPept-control – Control of Nucleation and Crystallization of Oligopeptides in Flow
The NuCryPept-control project aims to create tools for the simplification of parameter-space exploration in the development of oligopeptide nucleation and crystallization. We are developing precise and accurate control technologies for various parameters in the crystallization process (pH, composition, concentration, temperature) that not only work on microscale, but in addition are scalable, so that the same technologies used for screening can also be applied in manufacturing to unburden, through crystallization, the purification process of biomacromolecules, which is currently expensive and inefficient.
Reactive Amine Scrubbing for CO2 Conversion
The project aims at developing innovative continuous flow technologies with as prospective industrial implementation. Flow technology is especially useful for continuous processes and can be implemented at different levels going from efficient and economic screening of process conditions to process intensification.
FLOWER POWER: Design and use of an electrochemical flow reactor based on the COSTA™ technology
The goal of the project is to develop a prototype electrochemical reactor based on the COSTA™ technology. Current commercially available electrochemical reactors demonstrate significant restrictions in terms of mass transfer efficiency, a critical process parameter for heterogeneous catalyzed processes (i.e. electrochemistry). Having proved advantageous for the development of photochemical reactors, the COSTA™ technology will enable us to overcome the limitations of the current commercial electrochemical reactors, and will permit a wide implementation of the developed reactor in the pharmaceutical and fine-chemical industry. While photo- and electrochemistry show much similarity (e.g….
Up-scaling of the zero-gap CO2 electrolyzer
In light of climate change, we started in 2018 with the IOF SBO STACkED project that aims at identifying the most optimal CO2 electrolyzer configuration. The results direct obtained from this project have in October 2019 led to the start of a patent application process with the De Clercq & Partners patenting agency to protect the CO2 electrolyzer configuration.
Intensification of CO2 capture processes
In order to limit the effects of global warming, introduction of CO2 capture technology is absolutely and urgently required. However, the high cost and technological limitations of available CO2 separation technologies restrict their successful and general industrial deployment in the CO2 capture and utilization (CCU) context.
In this short project, we aim at the development of new and more efficient, sustainable and economically viable CO2 capture and separation technology.
Dioxide to monoxide (D2M): innovative catalysis for CO2 to CO conversion
The aim of this project is to study, explore and develop various (catalytic) technologies for the production of CO as platform chemical via conversion of CO2. A technology assessment will subsequently be carried out to evaluate the potential of each technology, pinpointing promising strategies for further development and upscaling.
Bringing the Electrocatalytic Conversion of CO2 to formic acid towards an industrial feasibility by unraveling the fundamental role of the supporting Material (BECO2Me)
Lowering the atmospheric CO2 concentrations and reducing anthropogenic CO2 emissions is one of the greatest scientific challenges faced by the current generation. A possible strategy is to use H2O and CO2 as renewable feedstock for the production of fuels and chemicals. Simultaneously, excess electricity, generated by renewable energy sources, can be utilized to drive these reactions. In this PhD project, CO2 will be electrochemically converted to formic acid. Currently, the electrochemical reduction of CO2 is not yet industrially viable, mainly due to the robustness of the envisaged technology. While a…
Reduction Oxidation Recycling (RedOxRec)
The project aims at providing a working use-case on the recovery of noble metals from production waste of electronics production sites, in order to increase resource efficiency through recycling and this through the development and validation of a small to medium scale and environmental-friendly chemical extraction process based on electrodeposition.
Advanced support materials for electrocatalysis
Over the last decade, the use of nanotechnology in electrochemical catalysis has become extreme important. Sole nanoparticles, however, do not yet constitute an electrode. Hence, deposition on a conducting support structure is indispensable
Ordered three dimensional electrodes for electrocatalysis
Over the last decade, the use of nanotechnology in electrochemical catalysis has become extreme popular. Sole nanoparticles, however, do not yet constitute an electrode. Hence, deposition on a conducting support structure is indispensable.