ICIQ group leader Antoni Llobet will coordinate the LICROX project, awarded 3 M€ by the European Commission. LICROX will be funded within the “Boosting emerging technologies” FET Proactive Horizon 2020 programme.
Achieving artificial photosynthesis would be one of the most efficient paths to fight climate change. Photoelectrochemical cells (PECs) have the potential to become efficient and cost-effective technologies, able to directly convert sunlight into chemical energy. The LICROX project will implement a new type of PECs that mimics photosynthesis. By incorporating three complementary light absorbing elements, the LICROX devices will be able to drive both water oxidation and CO2 reduction reactions to convert sunlight to stored chemical energy. To achieve an effective large-scale replacement of fossil fuels, the PECs fabricated within the LICROX project will use an innovative combination of light absorbing materials and powerful molecular transition metal complexes as catalyst for both the oxidation and the reduction reactions. The final PECs will consist on using low-cost materials and device architectures that will avoid large accumulations of hazardous or toxic products.
LICROX website: http://licrox.eu/
