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sustainable chemistry
A decade of EU-funded research
success stories
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ISBN 978-92-79-09721-8
DOI 10.2777/99099
Printed in Belgium
Table of contents
FP5
€57.3 million
36 projects
FP6
€145 million
58 projects
A DECADE OF EU-FUNDED RESEARCH
5
r daily lives
have revolutionized our use of electronic gadgets during control of the materials essential for the design of advanced
the last decade, and in the nanotechnology enhanced chemical processes. Nanotechnologies and molecular mod-
sensors and instruments that now form an integral part of elling strategies provide the tools for a more precise handling
today’s medical diagnosis and intervention. of the chemical reactions leading, for instance, to materials
functionalisation.
Materials innovation leading to sustainable chemical tech-
nologies is key to protecting and expanding employment Crossing new technological frontiers involves under-
in Europe by ensuring the continuing competitiveness of standing and optimising material combinations and their
the EU chemical industry. Materials development obtained synergistic functions in multi-material devices. Exciting
through chemical processes also creates opportunities for products are also likely to arise from the integration of
new enterprises in the materials and chemicals sectors. traditional and nano-structured materials.
Total number of projects in FP5 per subarea (€57.3 million) Total number of projects in FP6 per subarea (€145 million)
12
Chemical processing
of materials
17
Hybrid materials
14 9
6
Polymer chemistry 12
Catalysis and chemical
technologies
❉ Materials and Chemistry in FP5
G5RD-CT-2002-00750 – BIO-CAT
Novel precious-metal-based bionanocatalysts from scrap
Total cost: €2 362 274 | EC contribution: €1 555 478
Project duration: May 2002 – April 2005 (36 months)
Coordinator: Wolfgang Skibar – C-Tech Innovation Limited, Chester, United Kingdom
A DECADE OF EU-FUNDED RESEARCH
9
The CREATION project aimed to overcome this problem A Pt based catalyst suitable for pharmaceutical manufac-
by using air oxidation with heterogeneous catalysts in an ture applications was developed – although work on fine
aqueous environment, whereby water would be the only chemicals was abandoned due to technical problems.
reaction by-product – thus reducing both gaseous and
liquid effluents. The achievement of high purity, high Early demonstrations showed that a range of pharmaceuti-
yield production directly from this reaction would require cally important reagents can be converted at rates better
both high conversion and high selectivity. than 95 %, and isolated with yields higher than 90 %.
The proposal envisaged the development of a compact An optimised micro-channel reactor was constructed
microchannel reactor system suitable for use in three- in accordance with the design specification, as well as
phase catalytic air oxidation reactions. The intention was a spherical mesoporous carbon catalyst support system.
to provide precise control of oxygen concentration along Measurements showed that control of the mesoporosity
the reaction pathway, enhanced gas-liquid-solid mixing is crucial to the achievement of high conversion rates.
and improved heat transfer.
Results from the catalytic oxidation experiments proved
In order to optimise catalyst performance in the confines that the optimised multichannel reactor is suitable for three-
of the microchannel geometry, a carbon catalyst support phase catalytic reactions. Conversions rates up to 75 % per
system with precisely tailored nano/micro/mesopore struc- 10 cm bed length were obtained.
ture was also required, together with a suitable bimetallic
catalyst system. This significant achievement in performance is due largely
to a method used to integrate heat transfer, mixing and
reaction functionality into a single reactor, as well as to the
choice of reaction channel sizes.
G5RD-CT-2002-00724 – CREATION
Compact reactor and carbon supported catalyst system for multiphase air oxidation
Total cost: €2 302 698 | EC contribution: €1 370 574
Project duration: April 2002 – September 2005 (42 months)
Coordinator: Pawel Plucinski – University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
10 N OV E L M AT E R I A L S A N D S U S TA I N A B L E C H E M I S T RY
G5RD-CT-2002-00678 – NEOPS
Novel Eco-efficient oxidation processes based on H2O2 synthesis on catalytic membranes
Total cost: €3 487 550 | EC contribution: €1 891 128
Project duration: May 2002 – July 2005 (36 months)
Coordinator: Gabriele Centi – Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale per la Scienza
e Tecnologia dei Materiali, Firenze, Italy
A DECADE OF EU-FUNDED RESEARCH
11
Around 25 million Europeans are afflicted by asthma. The The SENTIMATS project targeted the introduction of inex-
prevalence of the condition has risen over the past 20 years, pensive, sensitive and reliable NO tests for patient diag-
especially among children, where it is now approaching nosis and monitoring. The objective was to develop the
15 % in Western Europe. principle and a prototype of a selective but low-cost type
of hybrid organic/inorganic sensor for this purpose. This
A useful way to measure the degree to which this disease would be based on the seemingly simple concept of replac-
causes inflammation of sufferers’ airways is to measure ing the logic gate in a transistor-like device by sensor mol-
the concentration of nitric oxide (NO) in the exhaled air. ecules that react with the compound of interest, causing
However, current inflammation measurement techniques changes in the current passing through the transistor.
are time-consuming, expensive and sometimes invasive.
Although newly developed technologies enable some The aim was to produce a chip-based sensor that would
non-invasive pulmonary tests to be performed easily and cost less than €1 to make, and could be embedded in
repeatedly, the equipment currently costs approximately a device that could become commonplace in clinics, doctors’
$25 000, and is neither mobile nor cheap to operate. surgeries and homes.
❉ Project successes
A new type of hybrid organic/inorganic sensor based
on GaAs/AlGaAs or silicon-oxide-coated GaAs/AlGaAs
devices has been developed and patented. This has been
shown to be extremely sensitive to the electrical potential
on its surface, which is measurably affected by the adsorp-
tion of NO on the chemical sensing molecules attached on
the surface. The sensor can detect NO at 1 ppb concentra-
tion, and has a selectivity of about 1:108 against various
gases like water, oxygen, CO2 and CO.
Sensor for asthma.
The partners have devised a procedure to prepare the
GaAs surface for adsorption.
G5RD-CT-2001-00569 – SENTIMATS
Development of a sensor for NO based on a hybrid organic-semiconductor device for detection of asthma
Total cost: €1 961 758 | EC contribution: €1 159 190
Project duration: December 2001 – November 2004 (36 months)
Coordinator: Ron Naaman – Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
12 N OV E L M AT E R I A L S A N D S U S TA I N A B L E C H E M I S T RY
G5RD-CT-2002-00710 – SMART
NOx abatement systems for next-generation environmental technologies
Total cost: €4 166 090 | EC contribution: €2 480 384
Project duration: April 2002 – March 2005 (36 months)
Coordinator: Sabine Thiemann-Handler – Robert Bosch GmbH, Gerlingen, Germany
A DECADE OF EU-FUNDED RESEARCH
13
There is an emerging market for antimicrobials and anti- Since no chlorine or heavy metals were involved in the
fouling additives in plastics for pharmaceutical packaging, proposed approach, and the final polymers would remain
fishing nets and underwater constructions, as well as for recyclable, they could be treated as commodity plastics
textile yarns and fibres. Suitable active agents are often without environmental restrictions.
mentioned in the literature – but, prior to the SPAN project,
only few compounds had yet been commercialised.
❉ Project successes
Two main factors determine the efficacy of an antimicrobial
compound: Compounds from three different classes have proved
• the ability to inhibit microbial growth (biostatic effect); to have antimicrobial or antifouling properties. End products
• the tendency to bind to microorganisms and subsequently including injection moulded containers and yarns were
kill them (biocide effect). produced and successfully tested at pilot scale.
The partners in SPAN sought both to develop antimicro- Protection of fibres either by oligomers with antibacterial
bial oligomers for incorporation into conventional poly- or antifouling properties, or by silver microparticles, has been
mers, and to chemically modify polymeric materials bearing demonstrated.
functional groups with suitable antimicrobial properties.
Synthesising a novel antimicrobial polymeric material in A patent on ‘High density polyethylene (HDPE) with pro-
a way that allowed controlled release of the antimicrobial nounced antimicrobial properties’ was granted in Greece
effect over an extended period of time was seen as one and is pending at European level.
viable method of providing protection against a broad
spectrum of bacteria or fouling organisms, without creating Following completion of the three-year project, one devel-
hazard to the environment or end user. opment line being pursued is yarn for outdoor use, with
antifouling protection by antimicrobial oligomers. Another
The envisaged approach for creating polymers with anti- is antimicrobial filaments protected by silver nanoparticles,
bacterial properties was a considerable advance on existing made using a process that increases fibre quality and
products. Their performance would no longer depend on decreases the amount of silver required. This makes them
small bacteriostatic molecules incorporated by simple mix- particularly suitable for use in medical wear, due to their
ing into polymeric matrices with little control over uniform- low toxicity.
ity in dispersion, migration and leaching. The antibacterial
action would rather derive from groups located on the
backbone of the polymer chain, thus being part of the
polymer itself.
G5RD-CT-2001-00568 – SPAN
Specialty antimicrobial polymeric materials
Total cost: €1 950 163 | EC contribution: €1 209 204
Project duration: November 2001 – October 2004 (36 months)
Coordinator: Alexis Stassinopoulos – Argo S.A., Koropi, Greece
❉ Materials and Chemistry in FP6
IP = Integrated Projects
STREP = Specific Targeted Research Projects
16 N OV E L M AT E R I A L S A N D S U S TA I N A B L E C H E M I S T RY
Renewable solid aerogels poised for widespread application when costs become more competitive.
Aerocellulose was
produced in different
shapes, e.g. beads
or cylinders.
NMP3-CT-2003-505888 – AEROCELL
Aerocellulose and its carbon counterparts – porous, multifunctional nanomaterials from renewable resources
Total cost: €4 250 745 | EC contribution: €2 299 376
Project duration: January 2004 – December 2006 (36 months)
Coordinator: Hedda Weber – Lenzing Aktiengesellschaft, Research and Development, Lenzing, Austria
A DECADE OF EU-FUNDED RESEARCH
17
SEM image of an affinity membrane with open pore structure. Final structure of the system IgG (green), ligand
(orange), linker (yellow), and support (blue).
NMP3-CT-2004-500160 – AIMs
Advanced interactive materials by design
Total cost: €19 712 232 | EC contribution: €11 400 547
Project duration: April 2004 – September 2008 (54 months)
Coordinator: Andrzej Górak – Dortmund University of Technology, Dept of Bio- and Chemical Engineering,
Laboratory of Fluid Separations, Dortmund, Germany
18 N OV E L M AT E R I A L S A N D S U S TA I N A B L E C H E M I S T RY
NMP3-CT-2003-505633 – COMPOSE
Multicomponent nanostructured materials for separation membranes
Total cost: €2 864 839 | EC contribution: €1 829 719
Project duration: March 2004 – July 2007 (42 months)
Coordinator: Klaus-Viktor Peinemann – GKSS Forschungszentrum Geesthacht GmBH, Institute of Chemistry,
Department of Membrane Development, Geesthacht, Germany
A DECADE OF EU-FUNDED RESEARCH
19
Functionalisation by enzyme grafting creates new uses for wool, hide and feather.
Over millions of years, nature has evolved fibrous materi- TGase and tyrosinase were applied to improve the ten-
als such as wool, silk, leather and feather, with unique sile strength and shrink resistance of untreated and
physical and chemical structures giving rise to remarkable air-plasma-treated wool. The chemical reactivity and
combinations of surface and bulk properties. The HIPER- accessibility of target residues in wool and silk have been
MAX project team sought to build on these matrices analysed and a database set up.
through bioprocess engineering, introducing innovative
Reel of chicken feather paper enzymatic technologies to modify and improve the estab- Tyrosinase-catalysed production of protein-polysaccha-
made at the University lished materials with a view to their exploitation in various ride bioconjugates and surface functionalisation of
of Manchester. industrial sectors. protein materials was demonstrated.
The project covered four main areas: The production of moulded products and paper from
• analysis and definition of the accessibility of useful tar- feathers is undergoing further evaluation. In all, 30 com-
gets in natural proteins e.g. amino, hydroxyl, sulfhydryl, mercially feasible feather- and wool-based products
carboxyl or carboxamide groups; were made on a semi-industrial scale.
• screening for novel enzymes to catalyse the modification
of surface and bulk properties of the protein matrices, fol- An important outcome of the project is the efficient uti-
lowed by production of those enzymes at pilot scale; lisation of waste poultry feathers in the manufacture of
• mechanistic investigations of the enzymatic reactions on mixed paper/feather products. The project has realised
modelled and real substrates; a unique manufacturing process whereby substituting
• exploitation of enzymes for surface and bulk modification enzyme-treated feathers for pulp and paper in innova-
SEM image of chicken of the protein matrices in order to develop engineered tive non-woven packaging products seems to be com-
feather paper: flat cellulose materials. mercially competitive. Considering that in the UK alone
(wood pulp) fibres some 2 000 tonnes of feathers are produced per week,
and individual chicken which previously could only be disposed of in landfills or
feather fibres. ❉ Project successes by burning, this is a truly important result for society.
Novel sulfhydriloxidases (SOXs) were screened and charac- Functionalised protein matrices of interest for tissue
terised, with the aim of incorporating molecules with engineering and medical devices such as scaffolds have
desired functionalities into proteinaceous fibres by been produced from blends of silk fibroin/gelatine and
means of enzymatic grafting. The potential of fungal tyro- hydroxyapatite/collagen sponges. Enzyme-catalysed treat-
sinase to catalyse grafting of functionalities onto wood and ment of hide powder and leather were also shown to
silk was also assessed. impart anti-odour properties and improve dyeing.
New transglutaminase (TGase) genes have been identified. Melt-extruded guides for peripheral nerve repair
Screening of large culture collections and isolates identi- have been manufactured from blends between poly(ε-
fied six novel microbes as suitable TGase sources. caprolactone) and gelatine, with inner surfaces function-
alised by poly(L-lysine).
Modelling of TGase-catalysed grafting and cross-
linking of amines to protein substrates was confirmed Two patent applications have been submitted, respec-
via mass spectrometry. tively on ‘Production of hollow conduits based on natural
and synthetic polymers for applications in peripheral
Tyrosinase-catalysed grafting of phenolic and thiol com- nerve regeneration’ and ‘Use of thiol groups in tyrosinase-
pounds into wool and silk fibres was verified. catalysed grafting’.
NMP3-CT-2003-505790 – HIPERMAX
High performance industrial protein matrices through bioprocessing
Total cost: €4 257 412 | EC contribution: €2 997 283
Project duration: March 2004 – May 2007 (39 months)
Coordinator: Elisabeth Heine – DWI an der Rwth Aachen e.V., Aachen, Germany
20 N OV E L M AT E R I A L S A N D S U S TA I N A B L E C H E M I S T RY
Bridging the gap between fundament A wide range of activities has been organised to pro-
and application of catalysis is a major mote catalysis and disseminate information to the
objective of IDECAT for the development catalysis community. Still more are supporting the transfer
of next generation catalytic materials. of knowledge to industry.
Solid-state Li-ion batteries set to deliver more power, last longer in phones, computers and cars.
Lithium ion batteries are excellent power sources for both approaching paradigm change in the automotive industry
small- and large-scale applications, from mobile phones and towards hybrid cars powered by batteries and traditional
laptop computers to electric vehicles. However, they suffer fuel engines. The combination of innovations should
from some drawbacks, such as age-related capacity loss and make it possible to realise true solid-state lithium batteries
a tendency to overheat under continuous charge. operating at room temperature, delivering specific en-
ergy higher than 180 Wh/kg with respect to the overall
The ILLIBATT project is seeking to develop safer, better per- weight of the cells. The coulombic efficiency is expected
forming and environmentally benign technology that makes to average higher than 99 % during cycling; and life-
use of solid-state electrolytes containing non-volatile and times to reach 1 000 cycles with a 20 % maximum loss
thermally stable ionic liquids, together with nano-structured of capacity.
anodes and advanced cathodes. Resulting new materials are
expected to be useful across an extended range of cell sizes,
from micro-batteries to very large delocalised storage units ❉ Project successes
(10-20kWh) and vehicle battery packs rated at up 50kWh.
By the end of the first project year, polymer electrolytes
The proposal for the three-year initiative identifies four and an anhydrous high-purity ionic liquid exhibiting
key objectives: conductivity higher than 1 mS cm-1 had been prepared. The
• development of a green and safe solid-state electrolyte synthesis and characterisation of polymeric ionic liquids
chemistry based on ionic liquids; were also completed, together with a small-scale prepara-
• use of novel nano-structured high capacity anodes pre- tion of conducting composites containing suitable binder
pared with the help of novel ionic liquids; polymers and ionic liquids.
• investigation of the properties of the electrolytes and of
their specific interactions with advanced commercial and Electrochemical testing procedures and standardised
self-prepared anode and cathode materials; conditions were defined, and samples of all the cathode
• construction of rechargeable lithium cells with optimised materials have been tested.
electrode and electrolyte components.
In the remaining project period, work will continue with
This research could position Europe at the forefront of a de- the design and fabrication of solvent-free, all-solid-state
veloping field of high performances batteries. This is a very concept batteries, as well as evaluation of their electro-
important priority for European research considering the chemical and safety performance.
NMP3-CT-2006-033181 – ILLIBAT
Ionic liquid based lithium batteries
Total cost: €2 667 513 | EC contribution: €1 848 396
Project duration: January 2007 – December 2009 (36 months)
Coordinator: Martin Winter – Westälische Wilhelms Universität Münster, Institute of Physical Chemistry,
Münster, Germany (former Technische Universitaet Graz, Institute for Chemistry and Technology of Inorganic
Materials (ICTAS), Graz, Austria)
22 N OV E L M AT E R I A L S A N D S U S TA I N A B L E C H E M I S T RY
Nano-porous materials can often serve in successful The participating academic partners have been integrated
replacements for traditional polluting and energy- con- into an independent legal entity, established in the legal
suming separation techniques employed for chemical form of a Belgian International non-profit association
processing. Nanomaterials are widely used as catalysts, (AISBL), and named the European Nanomaterials Institute
catalyst supports and membranes, forming the basis of of Excellence (ENMIX). This will implement an innovative
innovative technologies involved in energy storage, high- strategy in order to address sustainability issues by adopt-
temperature molecular sieve separation (e.g. hydrogen ing beneficial technology transfer arrangements for both
purification) and low-temperature sorption separation the academic and industrial collaborators.
(e.g. CO2 removal).
Integration of human and material resources into the vir-
As in other technology areas, a fragmentation of resources tual laboratory has been realised by the creation of the
and expertise is impeding European progress in this field. ‘Supertool’ infrastructure for testing materials and
In response, the INSIDE-PORES NoE is creating a ‘laboratory optimising processes in a sophisticated and interactive
without walls’, by developing innovative in situ and ex situ collaborative environment. This is used to streamline
techniques that can be assembled into special case studies the management process, monitor network progress and
for investigation within a common infrastructure. perform educational tasks. An INSIDE-PORES website
(www.pores.gr) coordinates the activities of the partner
A further objective is to advance the nano-manipulation laboratories.
of porous materials from the current state of the art, i.e.
method tailoring, to the bottom-up design, preparation A Supertool study regarding chemical vapour deposition
and optimisation of material structures and their clean (CVD) modification of membranes is already complete.
technology applications.
Several well-defined reference nanomaterials – carbon
molecular sieves, spherical activated carbon, inorganic
❉ Project successes membranes, microporous silica (silicalite), etc. – were
selected for testing using all of the proposed techniques.
In its first three years of existence, the NoE assessed and A prototype flow-controller system developed by
clustered the disparate research into a more efficient and the coordinating institute will assist in the performance
inspirational common research programme. of these experiments.
NMP3-CT-2004-500895 – INSIDE-PORES
In situ study and development of processes involving nano-porous solids
Total cost: €6 800 000 | EC contribution: €6 800 000
Project duration: October 2004 – September 2008 (48 months)
Coordinator: Nick Kanellopoulos – National Centre for Scientific research ‘Demokritos’, Attiki, Greece
A DECADE OF EU-FUNDED RESEARCH
23
NMP3-CT-2003-505267 – LIGBANK
The European Ligand Bank: an innovation facility
Total cost: €2 463 000 | EC contribution: €2 150 000
Project duration: January 2004 – December 2006 (36 months)
Coordinator: Simon Woodward – The University of Nottingham, School of Chemistry, University Park,
Nottingham, United Kingdom
24 N OV E L M AT E R I A L S A N D S U S TA I N A B L E C H E M I S T RY
To overcome this obstacle, the NANOCAT project ex- Specific metal-polymer nanoscale systems have been designed
plored methods of enhancing catalytic performance by and prepared for in situ synthesis of nanoparticles at high
adjusting the size and environment of the nanoparticles. metal concentrations.
This began with the assembly of fundamental knowledge
about the synthesis of catalysts on inorganic and organic An efficient method was developed for the formation
support matrices, as a basis for the development of more of Pt metal nanoparticles with various structures and
effective new particle/matrix combinations. morphologies in a matrix of hyper-crosslinked polystyrene.
Another essential step was to determine the link between A number of hydrogenolysis, dehydrogenation and oxida-
the nanocatalysts’ properties and their performance in tion reactions were performed. A database of catalyst
industrially important reactions, such as hydrogenation/ screening results relating catalytic activity in variety of
oxidation and isomerisation, while also monitoring the reactions to kinetic results from comparison between met-
rates of catalyst deactivation and risks of metal leaching. als of constant particle size supported on inorganic and
organic matrices has been prepared. A correlation of solvents
Establishing correlations between the nanoparticle size- with catalyst performance was also completed.
shape-environment and catalytic behaviour required the
development of reaction mechanisms by means of diffusion In an effort to integrate and thereby optimise the exper-
and time-dependent kinetic modelling. imental performance, the partners performed quantum
chemical calculations for several supported catalytic
systems, aimed at investigating:
• the structural and energetic characteristics of the support;
• the relationships occurring between metal particle size,
shape and the 3D surrounding environment;
• the influence of the above relationships on the kinetic
properties of the studied materials, with respect to the
hydrogenation, isomerisation and dehydration processes.
NMP3-CT-2005-506621 – NANOCAT
Tailored nanosized metal catalysts for improving activity and selectivity via engineering
of their structure and local environment
Total cost: €2 515 800 | EC contribution: €2 054 699
Project duration: February 2005 – January 2008 (36 months)
Coordinator: Dmitry Murzin – Abo Akademi University Faculty of Chemical Engineering,
Laboratory of Industrial Chemistry, Turku Suomi, Finland
A DECADE OF EU-FUNDED RESEARCH
25
Whereas most current nanocomposites rely mainly on transition metal catalysis, and understanding the phenom-
physical bonding between a nanofiller and matrix, the ena of nanocomposite formation by in situ polymerisation
NANOHYBRID project sought to learn from nature to pro- or during melt processing. Extensive evaluation and test-
duce skeleton-like superstructures and hybrids built ing was also necessary to adapt the new materials to real
using a combination of chemical and physical bonding. industrial requirements.
The aim was to derive new melt-processable nanophase-
separated hybrid materials from low cost petrochemical
olefin feedstocks. With controlled architectures and prop- ❉ Project successes
erties designed to permit easy processing, the novel
materials are likely to be suitable for a variety of industrial A range of novel nanoparticles were produced – including
applications, from packaging and low weight engineering doped and non-doped alumina, silica-alumina, hydrotalcites
materials to communications technology. and specially developed carbon nanotubes.
The adopted approach was intended to overcome a limita- New catalysts such as those based on rare-earth metal
tion of earlier polyolefin-based composites, which pose dif- complexes and novel synthesis led to the creation of poly-
ficulties in dispersing tectons (nanometer-scaled building mer architectures, random and block copolymers and
blocks such as organophilic inorganic polyelectrolyte nano- other compositions for improved matrix/filler adhesion
particles, that induce self-assembly, functional silicates, and nanofiller dispersion.
organoclays, and carbon nanotubes) in the matrix. Solving
this problem would open the door to a real breakthrough Catalysts supported on tectons for in situ polymerisation
in material performance. produced nanoparticles coated with polymer, used as inter-
mediates to obtain nanohybrids with high inorganic
Progress depended upon the acquisition of new know- content. Complex melt-processable polyolefin hybrids
ledge related to macromolecular architecture design via were also designed.
Nanohybrid dielectric thin film (bond). Application studies identified materials worthy of further
development for automotive parts, ICT devices, high-
performance elastomers and components for MEMS
(micro-electro-mechanical systems).
NMP3-CT-2005-516972 – NANOHYBRID
Designed nanostructured hybrid polymers: polymerisation catalysis and tecton assembly
Total cost: €2 761 394 | EC contribution: €2 070 000
Project duration: March 2005 – February 2008 (36 months)
Coordinator: Incoronata Tritto – Istituto per lo Studio delle Macromolecole-Consiglio Nazionale
delle Ricerche (Ismac-CNR) Milano, Italy
26 N OV E L M AT E R I A L S A N D S U S TA I N A B L E C H E M I S T RY
Membrane science is regarded as one of the main stra- the functions of naturally occurring cellular membranes
tegic axes of innovative process research activities in all that control many functions of life.
developed countries (a set of ‘dominant technologies’).
With an annual market growth rate above 10 %, membranes To coordinate EU effort in this domain, the NANOMEMPRO
now play a leading role in many industries – including network is creating a European Membrane House to
water treatment, energy, electronics, healthcare and agro- share research facilities, develop common procedures and
business. They are used in processes and systems involving protocols, foster professional mobility, and provide new
separations, reactions, sensing and actuation. opportunities for training and education in membrane
engineering. It will forge strong links between industrial
The importance of membrane technology is emphasised stakeholders via a ‘Club of Interest’ concentrating on four
by the fact that one of the major challenges of this cen- application areas: new production processes and system
tury is the provision of safe drinking water for a growing approaches, food quality and safer production methods,
population. The shortages in water resources (e.g. in Africa sustainable energy systems, and life support and health.
and the Middle East, but also in regions of Europe) will
soon require the availability of more efficient and cheaper
processes, fed not only from surface waters or aquifers ❉ Project successes
but also from sea, brackish or waste waters. The most
promising solutions to this problem could come from new The statutes of the European Membrane House, in the form
membranes tailored at the nano-scale level. of a non-profit association under Belgian law, have already
been adopted by the partners. As well as providing a plat-
Fine-tuning membrane properties requires a multidisci- form to support industry-driven research projects, this
plinary approach combining solid-state chemistry, supra- will form a channel of communication between the EC and
molecular chemistry, polymer chemistry, organic synthesis, the European Membrane Research Area and a natural inter-
physico-chemistry of interfaces and solutions, modelling face to prepare further collaborations with other similar
and chemical engineering. A particular demand is to syn- organisations in the other world regions.
thesise nanostructured artificial membranes mimicking
A roadmap has been drawn up and presented to the
membrane community to initiate new collaboration in
defining a strategic business and research agenda for
membrane technologies in Europe.
NMP3-CT-2004-500623 – NANOMEMPRO
Expanding membrane macroscale applications by exploring nanoscale material properties
Total cost: €13 160 000 | EC contribution: €6 380 000
Project duration: September 2004 – February 2009 (54 months)
Coordinator: Gilbert M. Rios – Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
A DECADE OF EU-FUNDED RESEARCH
27
The use of renewable raw materials is one of the corner- Building a single umbrella organisation, the European
stones of European policy, which has objectives to promote Polysaccharide Network of Excellence (EPNOE), will allow
biodegradation and to double the share of renewable full integration of all these resources into a Europe-wide
energy from 6 % in 1997 to 12 % in 2010. ‘super-laboratory’, conducting shared activities and inter-
acting directly inside the partner organisations. Included in
In this context, polysaccharides such as starch and cellulose its remit will be the training of scientists in academia and
are extremely interesting. They are very abundant in nature, industry; spreading of knowledge, results and best practices;
representing an almost inexhaustible source of natural raw and attracting the interest of citizens to science.
materials. They are the sustainable polymeric materials of
tomorrow. When synthetic polymers derived from oil
become expensive and rare, renewables could replace ❉ Project successes
oil-based materials with biodegradable and biocompatible
products in sectors such as paper, textiles, packaging, The network of 16 partners is conducting a very active col-
healthcare, hygiene, construction and transport. laborative research which benefits both laboratories and
students. The placement of 14 PhDs in several research
The mission of the POLYSACCHARIDE initiative is to or- projects adds further to the spreading of knowledge.
ganise the EU scientific community around a network
fostering the use of polysaccharide renewable industrial The constitution and registration of the EPNOE Asso-
feedstocks for the development of advanced multifunc- ciation is complete, and efforts are proceeding to attract
tional materials. Its consortium includes leading research industrial participants. A first meeting in Paris drew 56 com-
centres and top-ranked universities with expertise and panies, and a Business Industrial Club with six activity
state-of-the-art technologies in key polysaccharide-related areas already counts more than 20 members.
disciplines, including chemistry, chemical engineering,
enzymology, modelling, physics, processing, material An education roadmap and new research roadmap for
science, life-cycle analysis and economics. 2010-2015 have been completed.
NMP3-CT-2005-500375 – POLYSACCARIDE
The European Polysaccharide Network of Excellence
Total cost: €9 900 000 | EC contribution: €5 000 000
Project duration: May 2005 – October 2009 (54 months)
Coordinator: Patrick Navard – Centre for Material Forming (CEMEF), Paris, France
European Commission
EUR 23585 – Success stories in the materials field – A decade of EU-funded research
ISBN 978-92-79-09721-8
DOI 10.2777/99099
Acknowledgements