Technologies and services

SCOPE

Use of hydrogen as a raw material

Maturity Level

TRL 3-5

Development Level

Laboratory 

Protection Level

Patent

Development of nanocatalysts for hydrogenations    

Entity:

Fabrication, modification and physicochemical characterisation of nanocatalysts: carbon nanofibres (films), perovskite nanorods, metallic nanomaterials and metal oxides. Obtained from wet chemical processes (electrospinning, co-precipitation, sol-gel, solvothermal, etc.). Characterisation of the nanomaterials obtained to study morphology and size (HRSEM-EDS, TEM, DLS, Mastersizer), composition (XRD, ICP-MS, elemental analysis, Raman, XPS), electrical conductivity, porosity (BET, porosimetry), thermal stability (TGA-DSC), etc.

Challenges met

The new manufactured nanomaterials allow: 

  • Use of active nanocatalysts based on materials abundant in the Earth’s crust, thus reducing/eliminating the use of materials based on critical raw materials (CRM). 
  • Obtaining nanocatalysts with high surface area and, therefore, higher catalytic activity. 
  • In addition, the use of carbon nanofibers allows: 
  • Production of non-agglomerated nanoparticles homogeneously distributed on carbon nanofibres, with large surface area and high nanoporosity. This is beneficial for its catalytic activity and enables the nanoparticles to be supported on a conductive support. 
  • The electrospinning process is scalable and easily modified by obtaining different types of nanocatalysts. 
  • Possibility of making the process more sustainable by using lignin as a carbon source. 

Scope of application

Catalysts in: 

  • Industrial hydrogen consumption sector. 
  • Chemical sector. 

Main publications

Related projects

  • SPHERE – BIM Digital Twin Platform  
  • SOLARADAPT – Active and intelligent management of solar photovoltaic energy production and local consumption in flexible power grids 

Return to index

More info