Turning carbon emissions into renewable fuels for hard-to-decarbonize transport sectors by combining selective plasma with bio-/chemo-catalysis under mild conditions.
+C2Fue-LS aims to develop a direct cold plasma–catalysis pathway, combined with hybrid bio-/nano-catalysis, to efficiently produce alcohols and aldehydes from recycled CO₂, green hydrogen, and renewable electricity. The project focuses on the challenging plasma-assisted hydrogenation of CO₂ to obtain formaldehyde, followed by its selective conversion into alcohols of precise chain length through a novel biomimetic route combined with advanced bimetallic nano-catalysts. These catalysts are encapsulated within porous Metal–Organic Framework (MOF) structures and fabricated as digitally structured modules with hierarchical porous structures.
+C2Fue-LS targets the highly efficient and selective production of fuels for aviation and maritime transport while operating under mild conditions (≤100 °C, ambient pressure). By harnessing plasma effects—pioneering in room-temperature catalysis—and encapsulating hybrid bio-, chemo-, and nanoscale catalysts within MOFs and digitally structured modules, the project will significantly reduce energy barriers and enhance process efficiency and selectivity, producing alcohols as fuels and chemical feedstocks without the need for additional purification steps.
The project’s modular approach enables the selective synthesis of various alcohols, including ethanol, under sustainable and energy-efficient conditions. +C2Fue-LS encompasses several key objectives, including:
- Development of innovative catalysts based on plasma, bio-, nano-, and chemo-catalysis.
• Design of advanced catalytic supports with controlled distribution of active sites.
• Advanced characterization using ex situ and in situ/operando techniques to understand reaction mechanisms.
• Validation of the technology at laboratory scale, including safety assessments.
• Comprehensive environmental, techno-economic, and socio-economic evaluations.
Overall, +C2Fue-LS represents a breakthrough technology for converting CO₂ into valuable alcohols to be used as fuels and high value-added chemicals.
