DEFNET

 

EU : DEFNET

DEFNET is a Marie-Curie Network for Early Stage Researchers. The S2G group will have two open ESR positions in 2015. The first will deal with the characterization of engineered defects in nanoporous materials and will be followed by Vanessa. The second subject will deal with the potential use of engineered defect materials in gas storage and separation and will be followed by Philip.

To know more about the project go here

Coordination : Roland FISCHER, Univ. Bochum

Start date : December 2014

 

Our participation

The idea

DEFNET (DEFect NETwork materials science and engineering) is an integrated European Training Network (ETN) at the intersection of chemistry, physics and engineering dealing with the structural and functional complexity of molecular network materials. It provides a unique research and training platform for early stage researchers (ESRs) in chemistry, materials science and engineering. A coordinated effort involving 8 academic and 8 industrial partners from 6 European countries (Belgium, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, and Spain) is connecting synthesis and materials characterization, theory and materials simulation with application and technology.

DEFNET focuses on porous coordination network compounds: Metal-organic Frameworks (MOFs), including double metal cyanides (DMCs). MOFs are just on their way to become widely applicable. Intense research is ongoing with intense global competition.

DEFNET materials based on MOFs hold promise for innovative functionalities which cannot be achieved by other materials and benchmarking is done against zeolites, which are established porous materials in industry for catalysis and sorption applications.

DEFNET will investigate local and long range defects, heterogeneity, disorder and correlated phenomena. Understanding and controlling defect structures is essential for advanced functionality suited for catalysis, gas capture, separation, and more.

The S2G team of the MADIREL laboratory will be involved in both the characterization of DEFNET MOFs and their initial evaluation for gas capture and separation. Aspects of defects characterization will be supervised by Vanessa Coulet using both EXAFS to examine local structure and adsorption microcalorimetry to follow adsorption energies. Understanding the role of engineered defects in gas separation will be supervised by Philip Llewellyn with societal relevant target gases including CO2 and CO. 

The partners

Primary Partners

  • Ruhr-University, Bochum, Germany
  • KU Leuven University, Belgium
  • ITQ-CSIC, Valencia, Spain
  • CNRS & Aix-Marseille University, Marseille
  • Utrecht University, Netherlands
  • University of Ghent, Belgium
  • University of Oxford, United Kingdom
  • Rubotherm GmbH, Germany
  • Scientific Computing & Modeling, Netherlands

Complementary organisations

  • Evonik, Germany
  • CEPSA, Spain
  • Solvay, France
  • Clariant, Germany
  • Linde AG, Germany
  • BA Tobacco, UK
  • Diamond Light Source, UK

Our role in the project

We aim to use calorimetry to look at the role of defects on gas adsorption.

In a first case, we will use low temperature gas adsorption calorimetry to characterize the strength of engineered defects in porous materials. Here we plan to compare the adsorption of non-polar (Ar, CH4) probes with those with a permanent moment (N2, CO …). To further characterize the local contributions we plan to collaborate with groups using IR spectroscopy and also apply for time at Synchrotron sources to carry out EXAFS or XANES when appropriate.

We then plan to extend this characterization phase to understand, and then use these engineered defects in two different areas :

  • for gas adsorption or separation at ambient temperatures
  • for the adsorption stage prior to catalysis at higher temperatures

In both of these cases we will use specifically adapted calorimeters to evaluate the variations in energy due to the engineered defects

Meetings

Kick-off : 12-13 Feb. 2015 in Bochum

Workshop : 1-4 December 2015 in Leuven

Workshop : 22-24 March 2016 in Ghent

Workshop : 21-24 June 2016 in Valencia

Workshop and mid-term meeting : 7-11 November 2016 in Marseille

Our Publications in DEFNET

 

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