"The SUNCOCAT project aims to significantly improve conversion efficiency of carbon dioxide into other chemicals using solar energy. Rational design of the hybrid biophotocatalytic assemblies will be used during the process. Their novel nanoscale architecture, supported by a graphen, DNA origami technique and plasmonic enhancement of absorption and fluorescence will ensure an adequate electron flow without feedback or short circuit," Professor Joanna Kargul says.
As the UW scientist explains, the results of this research are expected to enable a smooth transition from advanced nanoscale systems to portable and efficient solar fuel production systems. "This would be of high importance for the decentralised and direct conversion of solar energy into renewable fuels and other chemicals of value to various economic sectors," Prof. Kargul adds.
"The SUNCOCAT project aligns perfectly with the ambitious research and development goals of the pan-European SUNERGY initiative, as outlined in the Strategic Research and Development Plan for Renewable Fuels and Chemicals," Prof. Kargul says about both initiatives: the research project and the strategic document she co-authored.
The "SUNCOCAT project: Rational design of efficient energy and charge transfer in biophotoelectrodes for direct conversion of CO2 into fuel" will be conducted by a team of French, German, Polish and Turkish researchers. It integrates methodologies from different scientific disciplines: electrochemical research, electron transfer modelling by quantum/molecular mechanics, as well as genetic and biophysical methods. The project is scheduled to start in early 2023.
Solar-driven Chemistry is a network of European research-funding organisations, established in 2008 on the initiative of the German Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). It organises international calls for research proposals devoted to the photochemical processes associated with sunlight. The network brings together research-funding organisations from Finland (AKA), France (ANR), Germany (DFG), Poland (NCN), Switzerland (SNSF) and Turkey (TÜBİTAK).
Prof. Joanna Kargul is also a co-author of the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda on Solar Fuels and Chemicals – a living document which will be further developed with the SUNERGY community into a full solar fuels and chemicals technological roadmap.
"Societies are currently facing the challenge of replacing fossil fuels and chemicals derived from the conversion of fossils with renewable feedstocks with a zero, or better still, negative carbon footprint. Various research studies are currently underway. The share of renewable energy in the form of solar and wind power is growing rapidly and will soon reach the desired level. Together with the full electrification of society and industry, this is one of the main pathways towards carbon neutrality," the UW researcher explains.
Professor Kargul points out that the direct use of electricity can be supported by means of fuels and chemicals produced from renewable energy sources. This would be crucial in case of neutralisation of the carbon footprint by those industries for which complete electrification is rarely an option.
"For instance hydrogen, carbon-based chemicals and ammonia can be derived from biomass conversion. However, the efficiency of this process is very limited and insufficient to meet global energy needs," the researcher explains. "Biofuels gained through biomass conversion can be complemented with renewable fuels or substances derived directly from carbon dioxide. The latter thus ceases to be a problem for the environment and becomes a valuable resource," Prof. Kargul says.
SUNERGY is an open community advocating for solar fuels and chemicals as the new paradigm for a climate-neutral Europe in 2050. The community consists of a wide-range group of experts from industry, academia and society. SUNERGY aims at becoming a large European Research and Innovation initiative working towards the conversion and storage of renewable energy into fossil-free fuels and chemicals.
SUNERGY''s Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda on Solar Fuels and Chemicals
The sun powers almost all life on earth via the fundamental process of photosynthesis. The natural photosystems (photosystems I and II) are capable of capturing light and converting solar energy into chemical bonds within reduced carbon compounds. These are large macromolecular membrane protein complexes that together to form biological nanoscale solar energy converters operating at an internal quantum efficiency close to unity.
Solar energy conversion is one of the few renewable ways to produce clean energy to meet the increasing demands of modern civilization. In the era of global climate change, there is a strong need to understand photosynthetic processes and their regulatory basis, particularly in relation to solar fuel production in extreme environments.
Our research focuses on three main long-term objectives:
As members of major European collaborative initiatives, the EuroSolarFuels (2011-2014) and PolTur/GraphESol (2016-present) consortia, we work on optimizing the construction and performance of biophotoelectrodes, which can be built into the heterojunction tandem devices to achieve efficient solar-to-hydrogen conversion.
Methods used in the Kargul lab include an array of chromatographic approaches (AEC, HIC, IMAC, SEC), biochemical techniques (SDS-PAGE, BN-PAGE, Western blotting, sucrose gradient fractionation etc.), molecular biology methods (RT-PCR, DNA cloning), spectroscopic methods (fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy), photoelectrochemistry, organic chemistry and bioinformatics. We also have close collaboration with top national and international experts in materials science, photovoltaics, AFM photophysics, and computational chemistry to characterize and optimize the electron and energy transfer processes within the constructed artificial leaf devices.
International collaborations:
National collaborations:
Associate Professor Joanna Kargul
EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS:
1 Sep 2011 – to date Associate Professor, University of Warsaw
20 April 2009 DSc (Dr hab.) in Biological Sciences, University of Warsaw, Poland.
Habilitation thesis: "Supramolecular organisation of Photosystems I and II in differential redox conditions"
13 July 1999 PhD in Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, UK.
Thesis: "Biochemical characterisation of the AUX1 protein from Arabidopsis thaliana".
17 June 1993 MSc in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (First Class Hon), University of Warsaw, Poland.
Thesis: "Oxygen evolution and lipid hydrolysis in thylakoids of chilling-sensitive and chilling-resistant plants".
Sep 2014 – to date Associate Professor/Head of the Solar Fuels Lab, Center of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Poland
Sep 2011 – Aug 2014 Associate Professor/Group Leader, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Poland
May 2001 – Aug 2011 Senior Research Fellow, Division of Molecular Biosciences, Imperial College London, UK
Nov 1998 – April 2001 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Imperial College at Wye, UK
January 2020 Nomination to the Polish Award of Intelligent Development 2020; category: Scientist of the Future
June 2019 Awardee of the Premium on Horizon 2 (Premia na Horyzoncie 2), Poland''s Ministry of Science and Higher Education
Jan 2018 – Jan 2019 The University of Warsaw Rector''s Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievements
June 2016 Awardee of the NCN "Grants for Grants: promoting quality II" (“Granty na granty: promocja jakości II”)
Aug 2011 – to date Honorary Fellowship, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London
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