TRR 234:  Light-driven Molecular Catalysts in Hierarchically Structured Materials – Synthesis and Mechanistic Studies

Subject Area Chemistry
Materials Science and Engineering
Thermal Engineering/Process Engineering
Term since 2018
Project identifier Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 364549901
 

Project Description

The CRC/Transregio CATALIGHT addresses fundamental challenges in materials development for sunlight-driven productive catalysis. Inspired by the design principles of natural photosynthesis, CATALIGHT envisions material innovations which lead up to artificial chloroplasts. To achieve this goal, CATALIGHT uses a molecule-in-matrix approach, where molecular photosensitizers and catalysts are embedded into functional soft matter matrices. This results in ideal model systems to study light-driven reactivity, stability, degradation, and repair. CATALIGHT will develop general synthetic strategies to design and tune molecular photosensitizers and catalysts with a focus on replacing traditional noble-metal-based compounds with non-noble-metal alternatives. Complementary synthetic routes will be established to access functional polymeric matrices for the site-specific anchoring of molecular reactive components. CATALIGHT will harness synergistic reactivity and stability by tuning molecule-matrix interactions as well as hierarchical matrix structuring. Light-driven reductive and oxidative catalyses will be coupled via charge-transport matrices to enable artificial photosynthetic schemes, e.g., for complete splitting of water into H2 and O2. Integration of the most promising systems into flow photoreactors equipped with online analytics will provide unprecedented insights into reactivity for soft matter matrices under light-driven catalytic conditions. In situ/operando experimental methods are combined with theoretical studies to rationalize photochemical reactivity across multiple length- and timescales. CATALIGHT expects that this comprehensive mechanistic approach will lead to in-depth understanding of new – even unexpected – phenomena emerging from molecule-in-matrix assemblies. CATALIGHT will go beyond the state-of-the-art and explore emerging themes in component, materials and reactor design, ranging from active molecular repair to stimuli-responsive reactivity regulation and enhanced catalytic performance using adaptive, dynamic process controls. CATALIGHT will lead to new paradigms, which break down boundaries between the realms of molecule-based reactivity, bottom-up material design and top-down reactor integration. This will result in fundamentally new, knowledge-guided concepts for light-driven productive chemistry in hybrid materials – opening new research opportunities for chemistry, biology, materials science and process engineering.
DFG Programme CRC/Transregios

Current projects

Completed projects

Applicant Institution Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
Co-Applicant Institution Universität Ulm
Participating University Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz; Universität Wien
Participating Institution Leibniz-Institut für Photonische Technologien e.V. (IPHT); Max-Planck-Institut für Polymerforschung
Spokespersons Professor Dr. Benjamin Dietzek-Ivansic, since 7/2022; Professor Dr. Sven Rau, until 6/2022