The UK Catalysis Hub - 'Science': 2 Catalysis at the Water-Energy Nexus

Lead Research Organisation: University of Manchester
Department Name: Chem Eng and Analytical Science

Abstract

Catalysis is a core area of science that lies at the heart of the chemicals industry - an immensely successful and important part of the overall UK economy, where in recent years the UK output has totalled over £50B annually and is ranked 7th in the world. This position is being maintained in the face of immense competition worldwide. For the UK to sustain its leading position it is essential that innovation in research is maintained, to achieve which the UK Catalysis Hub was established in 2013; and has succeeded over the last four years in bringing together over 40 university groups for innovative and collaborative research programmes in this key area of contemporary science. The success of the Hub can be attributed to its inclusive and open ethos which has resulted in many groups joining its network since its foundation in 2013; to its strong emphasis on collaboration; and to its physical hub on the Harwell campus in close proximity to the Diamond synchrotron, ISIS neutron source and Central Laser Facility, whose successful exploitation for catalytic science has been a major feature of the recent science of the Hub.

The next phase of the Catalysis Hub will build on this success and while retaining the key features and structure of the current hub will extend its programmes both nationally and internationally. The future hub structure will comprise a core programme which will coordinate the scientific themes of the Hub, which in the initial stages of the next phase will comprise:
- Optimising, predicting and designing new catalysts -
- Catalysis at the water - energy nexus
- Catalysis for the Circular Economy and Sustainable Manufacturing
- Biocatalysis and bio-transformations.

The present project concerns the second of these themes whose overall aim is to develop catalytic processes and technology to address the issues of clean water, more efficient utilisation/valorisation of water systems and the use of water as a reaction medium or reagent. This theme significantly expands on research from the energy and environmental themes of phase 1 of the UK Catalysis Hub as well as opening up new avenues of research and the incorporation of life cycle analysis and simulation science as strands running through the rest of the experimental programme. The theme will comprise the following main work packages:

- Treatment of High Ionic Strength Waste Water;
- Catalytic treatment to reduce biofouling of membranes;
- Energy-efficient catalytic advanced oxidation processes for water and wastewater treatment;
- Catalytic transformations in and with water;
- Energy and fuels from waste water;
- Life cycle sustainability assessment;
- Modelling.

The project will interact strongly with the other hub science projects. The Hub structure is intrinsically multidisciplinary including extensive input from engineering as well as science disciplines and with strong interaction and cross-fertilisation between the different themes. The thematic structure will allow then Hub to cover the major areas of current catalytic science

Planned Impact

Phase 2 of the UK Catalysis Hub will have wide ranging benefits and impact on the academic community and on industrial and manufacturing sectors in the UK; it will also have broader economic, environmental and social impact. The chemical sector is a major component of UK industry, and includes global players such as GSK, Astra Zeneca, Pfizer, Johnson Matthey, BP and Unilever. Catalysis is at the heart of these industries and the underpinning fundamental science developed by the UK Cataysis Hub will be of key importance in the development of future technologies.

The impact on the academic community will be broad. The programme will promote further collaborations between leading groups in catalytic science, but will also have impact on other disciplines including biosciences, materials, medicine and computational science. By contributing to facilities development, the project will also benefit the broader user community.

Societal impact will follow from advances enabled by the research in sustainable manufacturing, leading to greener and cleaner processes and products with reduced environmental impact. Contributions will also be made to the provision of sustainable energy and reductions in energy demands of manufacturing sectors. Additional societal impact will follow from the role of the fundamental research undertaken by UK Catalysis Hub in developing the circular economy and enabling recycle and reuse of waste streams.

The UK economy will benefit from the role of the Hub in assisting innovation in catalysis manufacture. The large and successful chemical sector, including over 3200 companies and a dynamic SME component, faces intense international competition. The collaborations and interactions both within the Hub and between the Hub and Industry will promote economic impact, which will extend beyond the chemical sector to industries that rely on advances in materials and processes, including automotive, aerospace and electronics sectors. All letters of support across the Core and Science Themes 1, 2 and 3 have been attached to the Core proposal

Knowledge exchange will be vigorously promoted by the programme through greater integration between the participating research groups and their extensive networks of collaborations and with scientists and facilities on the Harwell campus. This exchange will lead to scientific advances not only in the development of state-of-the-art equipment but also in sustainable chemical processes.

The impact on recruitment will be substantial by the provision of trained research workers whose skills will be necessary for R&D programmes required for market innovation to occur.

The management and dissemination plans are designed to maximise impact. The Management Group of the Hub will monitor and together with the Industrial Advisory Panel and External Advisory Board will advise on impact, while the conferences and workshops will be aimed at the key beneficiaries.

The collaborating team has wide ranging experience in the dissemination of their science and the promotion of its impact to a wide range of stakeholders including the general public, schools, business and government. We will undertake industrial stakeholder engagement at the Hub as well as visiting the industrial sites. A strong outreach programme is planned which will develop the Hub researchers as well provide In order to inform the community in its broadest sense the importance and impact of catalysis.

Publications

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Alofi S (2022) Kinetics of stearic acid destruction on TiO2 'self-cleaning' films revisited. in Photochemical & photobiological sciences : Official journal of the European Photochemistry Association and the European Society for Photobiology

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Arrigo R (2022) Monitoring dynamics of defects and single Fe atoms in N-functionalized few-layer graphene by in situ temperature programmed scanning transmission electron microscopy in Journal of Energy Chemistry

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Bahnemann D (2023) 2023 roadmap on photocatalytic water splitting in Journal of Physics: Energy

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Bartoletti A (2023) Identification of structural changes in CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 on high energy ball milling and their effect on photocatalytic performance in Catalysis Science & Technology

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Burnett J (2022) Directing the H 2 -driven selective regeneration of NADH via Sn-doped Pt/SiO 2 in Green Chemistry

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Burnett JWH (2022) Supported Pt Enabled Proton-Driven NAD(P)+ Regeneration for Biocatalytic Oxidation. in ACS applied materials & interfaces

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Calderón Gómez J (2019) Electrochemical Behavior of Pt-Ru Catalysts Supported on Graphitized Ordered Mesoporous Carbons toward CO and Methanol Oxidation in Surfaces

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Catlow C (2021) Concluding remarks: Reaction mechanisms in catalysis: perspectives and prospects in Faraday Discussions

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Celorrio V (2021) Relationship between Mn Oxidation State Changes and Oxygen Reduction Activity in (La,Ca)MnO 3 as Probed by In Situ XAS and XES in ACS Catalysis

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Chen H (2021) Dry reforming of methane on bimetallic Pt-Ni@CeO 2 catalyst: a in situ DRIFTS-MS mechanistic study in Catalysis Science & Technology

 
Description Scientific Theme 2 of Phase 2 of the UK Catalysis Hub addresses the use of catalysis in the usage, valorisation and treatment of water in the chemical and energy industries. In particular it aims to provide catalytic solutions to enable energy efficient catalytic processes using water as a reagent or solvent for fine chemical production, utilisation of waste water as a resource for chemicals and fuels as an alternative to waste water treatment, increasing the efficiency of waste water treatment for produced waters from across the energy and chemical industries and, importantly, life cycle and sustainability assessment of these processes. There is a clear link between energy and water as noted by the recent report by the US Department of Energy and the learned societies and due to changes in climate and progressive droughts across the globe, the more efficient utilisation of water has become as important as the transition from a fossil fuel based economy to one which is more sustainable. For example, significant amounts of water is used in the transformation of energy, for example, it is estimated that 1.8 L kWh-1 is required in thermal power plants and 2.5 L L-1 is used to extract crude oil. , Moreover, not only is water required for energy conversion and transmission, significant amounts of energy are used to source and purify water as well as to move it and treat it for recycle. As an example, in the latter, the utilisation of solar energy for purification of waste water has been extensively studied, particularly using UV radiation, and Scientific theme 2 will address some of the disadvantages of the current approaches, including the need to use visible light, as well as employ the technology for less traditional applications.
Exploitation Route outcomes will be disseminated to industrial and academic communities especially the water industry
Sectors Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Agriculture, Food and Drink,Chemicals,Energy,Environment,Healthcare,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology,Transport
URL http://www.ukcatalysishub.co.uk
 
Description Severe water shortages in parts of the world have been increasing over the last 20 years due to the increased usage in agriculture, changes in the climate, increases in the global population and utilisation in industrial processes and it is estimated that over 660m people do not have access to clean water. The issue of water supply is now as much of a challenge of developing more sustainable energy supplies and these are intimately linked Catalysis is a key underpinning technology to address the issues of clean water, more efficient utilisation/valorisation of water systems and the use of water as a reaction medium or reagent e.g. in treating shale gas produced water Materials are the primary way that we harvest, store, and control energy. New materials and processes are needed to enable energy innovation Our ability to actively design and control materials properties will define what is possible in our energy future. Catalysis will be critical to the development of these new materials and the processes required, including development of renewable resources through industrial biotechnology and Biocatalysis and biotransformation Collaborative research The Hub has run over 135 collaborative, multi-institution, multi-disciplinary projects since 2013. Over 91 PDRAS have been employed by the hub and have moved on to other positions and 33 are currently still employed. Of the PDRAs hired the Hub has maintained good equality and diversity across its projects with a 3:2 male to female ratio and PDRAS being hired from backgrounds across the globe. In addition to project within the Hub, The UK Catalysis Hub has supported over £40 million of other research working in collaboration with the Hub. The Hub has supported a broad range of projects in biocatalysts, chemo-catalysis and engineering from first grants and fellowships to programme grants and strategic equipment. Publications The Hub has published over 500 publications over since 2013, with an average of 3 institutions involved in each publication demonstrating the collaborative nature and breadth of the hub projects. Papers have been published with institutions across the globe (figure below - more details in appendix X) Outreach We have invited 15 EU and 3 international speakers at the UK Catalysis Hub conferences, the Hub has run 4 international bilateral workshops, including South Korea, USA, Russia and South Africa and contributes to the annual UK catalysis conference which invites international keynote speakers and attracts international attendees. The Hub runs two conferences annually, contributes to the organisation and speakers for the UK Catalysis Conference. In addition the Hub runs a number specialist and technical workshops Topics have included neutron and laser techniques, emissions, EPR, solar fuels and plasmonics and emissions control The Hub has organised and run a range of events and since Covid has hit has been active in running a host of virtual events including training, webinars and conferences. (see section XXX) As covid restrictions ease the Hub is committed to continuing to support the community in safe networking and dissemination and is running its first Hybrid conference in December following on from a successful celebration of 10 Years of Catalysis at Harwell. The event which was held in person and on Zoom included talks from academics, Past PDRAS and founding members of the UK catalysis Hub The UK Catalysis Hub also has £17 mil of funding arising from projects through the Hub ( leveraged or follow on funding) workshops leading to grants ( e.g the EPR event which facilitated a grant for High Resolution ESR Spectroscopy for Catalysis Research, Other grants arising from Hub activities include impact activities and strategic equipment grants. The Hub has fostered new collaborations from community interaction - e.g projects involving Kamer and Aldridge; and the developing collaboration between O'Malley (Hub ECR, Bath) and Speybroeck (Ghent and presenter at Catalysis Hub conference, 2016), Thomspon (QUB) and Beale (RCaH, UCL) on partial oxidation of methane. Industrial Support UK catalysis Hub Projects have been supported by industry via a number of ways over 58 projects have had Industiral support including 33 with industrial Co-Investigators who have had direct involvement with development and running of projects. In addition to input of expertise into projects many projects have had in kind support e.g. access to equipment's, techniques and samples. Many projects have also had direct support from industry, and this is over £2million in phase 2 of the hub. Notable achievements include: Development of an Ambient Pressure Microreactor for In Situ Soft XAS In situ soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (NEXAFS) is capable of providing behaviour/structure of the surface or species at the surface under operating conditions. Further to the surface sensitivity, spectra recorded at the L-edge offer 3-5 times greater energy resolution compared to those recorded at the K-edge, resulting in sharper spectral features. Transitions at the L-edge (2p-3d) are dipole-allowed, providing spectra that are more intense and structured than those from the dipole forbidden K-edge (1s-3d transitions). As a consequence, L-edge XAS spectra are more sensitive to oxidation and spin-states. A new microreactor for the Ambient Pressure (AP) soft X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) at the B07 VERSOX beamline at Diamond has been designed and commissioned. It has the volume of ~0.4 cm3 and be operational at pressure 1-3 bars in the temperature range 273 - 650 K. The microreactor was tested using hydrogen, CO, helium gases and their mixture. The new cell has extended the in situ capability available for NEXAFS analysis at Diamond from 20 mbar to 1-3 bar pressure. The proof of principle experiments have been successfully performed using industrial catalysts for waste to energy conversion. Setup is suitable not only for model 2D catalysts (previously reported in the literature for the same system) but also for industrially relevant powdered catalysts. New microreactor will become a part of the standard beamline equipment and will be available to the broader scientific community providing access to measurements of major importance that are currently unavailable in the UK. His project was co funded by the UK catalysis Hub, Diamond Lightsource, UCL and Johnson Matthey Application of modulation excitation method for neutron scattering techniques Many commercially important chemical and pharmaceutical processes often involve liquid phase reactions which require large amounts of solvent as compared to the reactants and solid catalyst. Such a catalytic system presents a great challenge to monitor the reaction kinetics and mechanisms by conventional characterisation techniques due to a huge contribution of the solvent to the spectra that may envelop the crucial information. To circumvent this problem, transient methods, such as Modulation Excitation (ME), have been applied to improve the detection limits of the characterisation techniques. Application of ME method to neutron scattering techniques enables us to improve detection limit of the techniques and, signal to noise ratio of the spectra by filtering off contribution arising from the large amounts of solvent that may be "static" during the reaction. A completely integrated and synchronised reaction setup has been established for conducting ME experiments in the event mode on NIMROD instrument, which is available for a wider scientific community X-Ray spectroscopy in catalytic science; where the Catalysis Hub in association with Diamond has led a highly successful Block allocation Group (BAG) on the Core XAFS beamline and has supported more than 20 research groups across ten institutions including new users, resulting in more than 32 publications. The Hub has also developed a number of in situ analysis techniques including operando XAFS/DRIFTS technique, which has been widely used by the catalysis community. Development of tomographic imaging: A novel and significant development using both DIAMOND and ESRF facilities which has allowed the imaging of real catalytic system in operando. Growth in the application of neutron scattering techniques; especially neutron spectroscopy. Here our strong relationship with ISIS has focused on community engagement as well as scientific research through conference and workshops (e.g. neutrons for catalysis in November 2015) and has led to a large increase in the use of neutron techniques for catalysis. Particularly notable has been the rapid growth in the use inelastic neutron scattering (INS) for in situ spectroscopy and Quasi Elastic Neutron Scattering (QENS) and small angle scattering probing molecular transport, surface speciation and confined liquid structures for a range of catalytic systems. Exemplar studies have been highlighted in a recent special issue of PCCP on "Neutron scattering in catalysis and energy materials," (Phys Chem Chem Phys 18 2016) which was edited by Hub scientists (Silverwood, Parker and Catlow). The Hub is also incentivising instrument upgrades and is the major driver for the proposed catalysis laboratory within ISIS. Development of laser techniques in catalytic science, where McGregor (Sheffield) has led a Hub project on Optical tweezers for interrogation of catalysts and Beale, (RCaH, UCL) has developed techniques including Kerr gated Raman and Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIM) for catalysis applications. The applications of Laser techniques for catalysis was disseminated to the community in a workshop organised in collaboration with the CLF (Lasers for catalysis in May 2016). Development of Kerr Gate Raman as a technique for catalyis The Beale group including Ines Lezcano-Gonzalez and Emma Campbell have worked on the application of Kerr-gated Raman spectroscopy to catalytic systems, working with Igor Sazanovich and Mike Towrie at the Central Laser Facility. Raman spectroscopy is a powerful probe for catalytic mechanisms but strong sample fluorescence often inhibits the collection of signals. The Kerr-gated spectrometer (KGS) at ULTRA, Central Laser Facility, allows for picosecond time-gating so that the Raman signal can be separated from fluorescence according to their different lifetimes. The KGS combines a visible wavelength pulsing laser (typically 400 nm) with a system comprising a Kerr-medium, two cross-polarisers open at 90 ° with respect to one-another, and a second laser operating to activate the Kerr-medium (known as the gating pulse). Using this technique, the group has been able to identify important intermediate species in the reaction of methanol, furan, and other oxygenated hydrocarbons over zeolite catalysts to link their presence with catalytic activity.
First Year Of Impact 2019
Sector Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Agriculture, Food and Drink,Chemicals,Energy,Environment,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology,Transport
Impact Types Cultural,Societal,Economic
 
Description Converting biomass derived VFAs into biofuels Project Partners: Queen's University Belfast (QUB, Manyar, Goguet), Cardiff University (CU, Catlow), University of Manchester (UMan, Hardacre), Coryton UK (CAF, Goldsmith), Shell (Klusener, Parker). 
Organisation Shell International Petroleum
Department Shell UK Ltd
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Project Partners: Queen's University Belfast (QUB, Manyar, Goguet), Cardiff University (CU, Catlow), University of Manchester (UMan, Hardacre), Coryton UK (CAF, Goldsmith), Shell (Klusener, Parker). Scientific Case: The project is aimed at developing a new, easily scalable and economically viable ketonisation??-alkylation?hydrogenation route for converting volatile fatty acids (VFAs) from process water produced from Hydrothermal Liquefication (HTL) of biomass into branched hydrocarbons (C8-C14) for blending with diesel. The UK is the first major economy to pass net zero emissions legislation, which requires all GHG emissions to be net zero by 2050. Currently, the transport sector relies on petroleum, accounting for 96% of the transport energy [1]. Biofuels have a key role in achieving the ambitious 2050 net zero target. The complementary use of biofuels could allow the increasing energy demand to be met while further reducing annual GHG emissions by ~52 million metric tons (MT) by 2030 (19% reduction from today), and by ~194 million MT by 2050 (47% reduction from today) [2]. However, most biofuels are produced from costly and food-competing 1st generation (1G) feedstocks. The 2nd generation (2G) biofuels made from sustainable non-food competing feedstocks have high processing costs; consequently the development of economically viable technologies to produce biofuels is a priority. Process water produced during the hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of biomass contains a variety of organic acids including acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, pentanoic acid, hexanoic acid, lactic acid and levulinic acid. VFAs (C3-C6) can be upgraded to produce long chain alkanes (C8-C18) through a cascade of catalytic reactions. Within the exemplar projects of Work Package 5, "Energy and fuels from waste water", we (QUB, Manyar, and CU, Catlow) have developed a process for first step of ketonisation of VFAs using efficient ceria-zirconia and doped zirconia catalysts via a combined experimental and computational approach. In the present project we propose to complete the integrated catalytic process for ketonisation??-alkylation?hydrogenation route for the conversion of biomass derived VFAs to biofuels.
Collaborator Contribution If this proposal is successful, Shell would be pleased to collaborate closely and provide the following support: - Attendance at progress meetings via teleconferences and in person meetings overlapping with 6 monthly QUILL meetings. - Provision of expertise in relation to interpreting experimental results. - Advice on biofuel test protocols and contribute to scientific publications. - Support the consortium with an in-kind contribution as described above. Such in-kind contribution to the project will be about £30,000. Shell may commit to a further cash contribution of £20,000, which will be spent to extend the PDRA contract by further 6 months in addition to funding by catalysis hub. CORYTON comits to provide expert resource and fuel analysis 24 samples of fuel against industrial satandards and full testing
Impact This project has the potential to deliver formulation of new catalysts and integrated process technologies for sustainable production of advanced biofuels, directly helping further towards achieving the societal net zero targets of 2050. The investigators will then develop a major EPSRC proposal based on the project, and will seek further support from industry and EU/Innovate UK.
Start Year 2020
 
Description IAP 
Organisation Almac Group
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution The management structure of the Hub will provide the necessary flexibility whilst ensuring good governance. All the governance, management and advisory structures that have been established and successfully operated in phase 1 of the Hub will continue to operate. Overall operational matters will be dealt with by the Management Group (MG) which will be advised by three advisory groups, namely the Steering Group (SG) the External Advisory Board (EAB) and the Industrial Advisory Panel (IAP). An independent Oversight Board will be appointed consisting of senior academic from each Partner Institution which will annually review progress and ensure compliance with the terms of the award letter and overall governance.
Collaborator Contribution The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: · Providing input on the needs of industry · Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub.
Impact The Industrial Advisory Panel Chaired by a senior industrialist. The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: Providing input on the needs of industry Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub
Start Year 2018
 
Description IAP 
Organisation Arvia Technologies
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution The management structure of the Hub will provide the necessary flexibility whilst ensuring good governance. All the governance, management and advisory structures that have been established and successfully operated in phase 1 of the Hub will continue to operate. Overall operational matters will be dealt with by the Management Group (MG) which will be advised by three advisory groups, namely the Steering Group (SG) the External Advisory Board (EAB) and the Industrial Advisory Panel (IAP). An independent Oversight Board will be appointed consisting of senior academic from each Partner Institution which will annually review progress and ensure compliance with the terms of the award letter and overall governance.
Collaborator Contribution The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: · Providing input on the needs of industry · Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub.
Impact The Industrial Advisory Panel Chaired by a senior industrialist. The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: Providing input on the needs of industry Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub
Start Year 2018
 
Description IAP 
Organisation AstraZeneca
Department Astra Zeneca
Country United States 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution The management structure of the Hub will provide the necessary flexibility whilst ensuring good governance. All the governance, management and advisory structures that have been established and successfully operated in phase 1 of the Hub will continue to operate. Overall operational matters will be dealt with by the Management Group (MG) which will be advised by three advisory groups, namely the Steering Group (SG) the External Advisory Board (EAB) and the Industrial Advisory Panel (IAP). An independent Oversight Board will be appointed consisting of senior academic from each Partner Institution which will annually review progress and ensure compliance with the terms of the award letter and overall governance.
Collaborator Contribution The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: · Providing input on the needs of industry · Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub.
Impact The Industrial Advisory Panel Chaired by a senior industrialist. The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: Providing input on the needs of industry Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub
Start Year 2018
 
Description IAP 
Organisation Axion Recycling Ltd
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution The management structure of the Hub will provide the necessary flexibility whilst ensuring good governance. All the governance, management and advisory structures that have been established and successfully operated in phase 1 of the Hub will continue to operate. Overall operational matters will be dealt with by the Management Group (MG) which will be advised by three advisory groups, namely the Steering Group (SG) the External Advisory Board (EAB) and the Industrial Advisory Panel (IAP). An independent Oversight Board will be appointed consisting of senior academic from each Partner Institution which will annually review progress and ensure compliance with the terms of the award letter and overall governance.
Collaborator Contribution The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: · Providing input on the needs of industry · Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub.
Impact The Industrial Advisory Panel Chaired by a senior industrialist. The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: Providing input on the needs of industry Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub
Start Year 2018
 
Description IAP 
Organisation BP (British Petroleum)
Department BP Exploration Operating Company Limited
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution The management structure of the Hub will provide the necessary flexibility whilst ensuring good governance. All the governance, management and advisory structures that have been established and successfully operated in phase 1 of the Hub will continue to operate. Overall operational matters will be dealt with by the Management Group (MG) which will be advised by three advisory groups, namely the Steering Group (SG) the External Advisory Board (EAB) and the Industrial Advisory Panel (IAP). An independent Oversight Board will be appointed consisting of senior academic from each Partner Institution which will annually review progress and ensure compliance with the terms of the award letter and overall governance.
Collaborator Contribution The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: · Providing input on the needs of industry · Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub.
Impact The Industrial Advisory Panel Chaired by a senior industrialist. The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: Providing input on the needs of industry Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub
Start Year 2018
 
Description IAP 
Organisation CatScI
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution The management structure of the Hub will provide the necessary flexibility whilst ensuring good governance. All the governance, management and advisory structures that have been established and successfully operated in phase 1 of the Hub will continue to operate. Overall operational matters will be dealt with by the Management Group (MG) which will be advised by three advisory groups, namely the Steering Group (SG) the External Advisory Board (EAB) and the Industrial Advisory Panel (IAP). An independent Oversight Board will be appointed consisting of senior academic from each Partner Institution which will annually review progress and ensure compliance with the terms of the award letter and overall governance.
Collaborator Contribution The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: · Providing input on the needs of industry · Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub.
Impact The Industrial Advisory Panel Chaired by a senior industrialist. The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: Providing input on the needs of industry Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub
Start Year 2018
 
Description IAP 
Organisation Econic
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution The management structure of the Hub will provide the necessary flexibility whilst ensuring good governance. All the governance, management and advisory structures that have been established and successfully operated in phase 1 of the Hub will continue to operate. Overall operational matters will be dealt with by the Management Group (MG) which will be advised by three advisory groups, namely the Steering Group (SG) the External Advisory Board (EAB) and the Industrial Advisory Panel (IAP). An independent Oversight Board will be appointed consisting of senior academic from each Partner Institution which will annually review progress and ensure compliance with the terms of the award letter and overall governance.
Collaborator Contribution The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: · Providing input on the needs of industry · Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub.
Impact The Industrial Advisory Panel Chaired by a senior industrialist. The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: Providing input on the needs of industry Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub
Start Year 2018
 
Description IAP 
Organisation GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
Department Research and Development GSK
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution The management structure of the Hub will provide the necessary flexibility whilst ensuring good governance. All the governance, management and advisory structures that have been established and successfully operated in phase 1 of the Hub will continue to operate. Overall operational matters will be dealt with by the Management Group (MG) which will be advised by three advisory groups, namely the Steering Group (SG) the External Advisory Board (EAB) and the Industrial Advisory Panel (IAP). An independent Oversight Board will be appointed consisting of senior academic from each Partner Institution which will annually review progress and ensure compliance with the terms of the award letter and overall governance.
Collaborator Contribution The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: · Providing input on the needs of industry · Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub.
Impact The Industrial Advisory Panel Chaired by a senior industrialist. The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: Providing input on the needs of industry Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub
Start Year 2018
 
Description IAP 
Organisation Invista (UK)
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution The management structure of the Hub will provide the necessary flexibility whilst ensuring good governance. All the governance, management and advisory structures that have been established and successfully operated in phase 1 of the Hub will continue to operate. Overall operational matters will be dealt with by the Management Group (MG) which will be advised by three advisory groups, namely the Steering Group (SG) the External Advisory Board (EAB) and the Industrial Advisory Panel (IAP). An independent Oversight Board will be appointed consisting of senior academic from each Partner Institution which will annually review progress and ensure compliance with the terms of the award letter and overall governance.
Collaborator Contribution The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: · Providing input on the needs of industry · Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub.
Impact The Industrial Advisory Panel Chaired by a senior industrialist. The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: Providing input on the needs of industry Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub
Start Year 2018
 
Description IAP 
Organisation Knowledge Transfer Network
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution The management structure of the Hub will provide the necessary flexibility whilst ensuring good governance. All the governance, management and advisory structures that have been established and successfully operated in phase 1 of the Hub will continue to operate. Overall operational matters will be dealt with by the Management Group (MG) which will be advised by three advisory groups, namely the Steering Group (SG) the External Advisory Board (EAB) and the Industrial Advisory Panel (IAP). An independent Oversight Board will be appointed consisting of senior academic from each Partner Institution which will annually review progress and ensure compliance with the terms of the award letter and overall governance.
Collaborator Contribution The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: · Providing input on the needs of industry · Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub.
Impact The Industrial Advisory Panel Chaired by a senior industrialist. The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: Providing input on the needs of industry Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub
Start Year 2018
 
Description IAP 
Organisation Lucite International
Department Lucite International UK Ltd
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution The management structure of the Hub will provide the necessary flexibility whilst ensuring good governance. All the governance, management and advisory structures that have been established and successfully operated in phase 1 of the Hub will continue to operate. Overall operational matters will be dealt with by the Management Group (MG) which will be advised by three advisory groups, namely the Steering Group (SG) the External Advisory Board (EAB) and the Industrial Advisory Panel (IAP). An independent Oversight Board will be appointed consisting of senior academic from each Partner Institution which will annually review progress and ensure compliance with the terms of the award letter and overall governance.
Collaborator Contribution The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: · Providing input on the needs of industry · Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub.
Impact The Industrial Advisory Panel Chaired by a senior industrialist. The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: Providing input on the needs of industry Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub
Start Year 2018
 
Description IAP 
Organisation PlasticsEurope
Country Belgium 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution The management structure of the Hub will provide the necessary flexibility whilst ensuring good governance. All the governance, management and advisory structures that have been established and successfully operated in phase 1 of the Hub will continue to operate. Overall operational matters will be dealt with by the Management Group (MG) which will be advised by three advisory groups, namely the Steering Group (SG) the External Advisory Board (EAB) and the Industrial Advisory Panel (IAP). An independent Oversight Board will be appointed consisting of senior academic from each Partner Institution which will annually review progress and ensure compliance with the terms of the award letter and overall governance.
Collaborator Contribution The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: · Providing input on the needs of industry · Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub.
Impact The Industrial Advisory Panel Chaired by a senior industrialist. The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: Providing input on the needs of industry Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub
Start Year 2018
 
Description IAP 
Organisation Ricardo UK Ltd
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution The management structure of the Hub will provide the necessary flexibility whilst ensuring good governance. All the governance, management and advisory structures that have been established and successfully operated in phase 1 of the Hub will continue to operate. Overall operational matters will be dealt with by the Management Group (MG) which will be advised by three advisory groups, namely the Steering Group (SG) the External Advisory Board (EAB) and the Industrial Advisory Panel (IAP). An independent Oversight Board will be appointed consisting of senior academic from each Partner Institution which will annually review progress and ensure compliance with the terms of the award letter and overall governance.
Collaborator Contribution The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: · Providing input on the needs of industry · Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub.
Impact The Industrial Advisory Panel Chaired by a senior industrialist. The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: Providing input on the needs of industry Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub
Start Year 2018
 
Description IAP 
Organisation Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Department Central Laser Facility
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution The management structure of the Hub will provide the necessary flexibility whilst ensuring good governance. All the governance, management and advisory structures that have been established and successfully operated in phase 1 of the Hub will continue to operate. Overall operational matters will be dealt with by the Management Group (MG) which will be advised by three advisory groups, namely the Steering Group (SG) the External Advisory Board (EAB) and the Industrial Advisory Panel (IAP). An independent Oversight Board will be appointed consisting of senior academic from each Partner Institution which will annually review progress and ensure compliance with the terms of the award letter and overall governance.
Collaborator Contribution The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: · Providing input on the needs of industry · Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub.
Impact The Industrial Advisory Panel Chaired by a senior industrialist. The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: Providing input on the needs of industry Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub
Start Year 2018
 
Description IAP 
Organisation Saudi Basic Industries Corporation
Country Saudi Arabia 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution The management structure of the Hub will provide the necessary flexibility whilst ensuring good governance. All the governance, management and advisory structures that have been established and successfully operated in phase 1 of the Hub will continue to operate. Overall operational matters will be dealt with by the Management Group (MG) which will be advised by three advisory groups, namely the Steering Group (SG) the External Advisory Board (EAB) and the Industrial Advisory Panel (IAP). An independent Oversight Board will be appointed consisting of senior academic from each Partner Institution which will annually review progress and ensure compliance with the terms of the award letter and overall governance.
Collaborator Contribution The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: · Providing input on the needs of industry · Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub.
Impact The Industrial Advisory Panel Chaired by a senior industrialist. The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: Providing input on the needs of industry Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub
Start Year 2018
 
Description IAP 
Organisation Seldon Research Ltd
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution The management structure of the Hub will provide the necessary flexibility whilst ensuring good governance. All the governance, management and advisory structures that have been established and successfully operated in phase 1 of the Hub will continue to operate. Overall operational matters will be dealt with by the Management Group (MG) which will be advised by three advisory groups, namely the Steering Group (SG) the External Advisory Board (EAB) and the Industrial Advisory Panel (IAP). An independent Oversight Board will be appointed consisting of senior academic from each Partner Institution which will annually review progress and ensure compliance with the terms of the award letter and overall governance.
Collaborator Contribution The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: · Providing input on the needs of industry · Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub.
Impact The Industrial Advisory Panel Chaired by a senior industrialist. The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: Providing input on the needs of industry Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub
Start Year 2018
 
Description IAP 
Organisation Seymoor Limited
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution The management structure of the Hub will provide the necessary flexibility whilst ensuring good governance. All the governance, management and advisory structures that have been established and successfully operated in phase 1 of the Hub will continue to operate. Overall operational matters will be dealt with by the Management Group (MG) which will be advised by three advisory groups, namely the Steering Group (SG) the External Advisory Board (EAB) and the Industrial Advisory Panel (IAP). An independent Oversight Board will be appointed consisting of senior academic from each Partner Institution which will annually review progress and ensure compliance with the terms of the award letter and overall governance.
Collaborator Contribution The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: · Providing input on the needs of industry · Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub.
Impact The Industrial Advisory Panel Chaired by a senior industrialist. The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: Providing input on the needs of industry Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub
Start Year 2018
 
Description IAP 
Organisation Solvay
Country Global 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution The management structure of the Hub will provide the necessary flexibility whilst ensuring good governance. All the governance, management and advisory structures that have been established and successfully operated in phase 1 of the Hub will continue to operate. Overall operational matters will be dealt with by the Management Group (MG) which will be advised by three advisory groups, namely the Steering Group (SG) the External Advisory Board (EAB) and the Industrial Advisory Panel (IAP). An independent Oversight Board will be appointed consisting of senior academic from each Partner Institution which will annually review progress and ensure compliance with the terms of the award letter and overall governance.
Collaborator Contribution The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: · Providing input on the needs of industry · Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub.
Impact The Industrial Advisory Panel Chaired by a senior industrialist. The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: Providing input on the needs of industry Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub
Start Year 2018
 
Description IAP 
Organisation The Co-operative Group Ltd
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution The management structure of the Hub will provide the necessary flexibility whilst ensuring good governance. All the governance, management and advisory structures that have been established and successfully operated in phase 1 of the Hub will continue to operate. Overall operational matters will be dealt with by the Management Group (MG) which will be advised by three advisory groups, namely the Steering Group (SG) the External Advisory Board (EAB) and the Industrial Advisory Panel (IAP). An independent Oversight Board will be appointed consisting of senior academic from each Partner Institution which will annually review progress and ensure compliance with the terms of the award letter and overall governance.
Collaborator Contribution The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: · Providing input on the needs of industry · Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub.
Impact The Industrial Advisory Panel Chaired by a senior industrialist. The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: Providing input on the needs of industry Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub
Start Year 2018
 
Description IAP 
Organisation Unilever
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution The management structure of the Hub will provide the necessary flexibility whilst ensuring good governance. All the governance, management and advisory structures that have been established and successfully operated in phase 1 of the Hub will continue to operate. Overall operational matters will be dealt with by the Management Group (MG) which will be advised by three advisory groups, namely the Steering Group (SG) the External Advisory Board (EAB) and the Industrial Advisory Panel (IAP). An independent Oversight Board will be appointed consisting of senior academic from each Partner Institution which will annually review progress and ensure compliance with the terms of the award letter and overall governance.
Collaborator Contribution The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: · Providing input on the needs of industry · Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub.
Impact The Industrial Advisory Panel Chaired by a senior industrialist. The IAP will meet biannually to advise the MG on areas for research and ensure that the activities of the Hub are relevant to the requirements of industry. Key Roles: Providing input on the needs of industry Provide advice in identifying and commercialising IP resulting from the Hub
Start Year 2018
 
Description Photocatalysis in the water flow: mediator-free NAD(P)H regeneration for biotransformations Xiaodong Wang,a Russell Howe,b Panagiotis Kechagiopoulos,b Jiafu Shi,c Xinbin Ma,c and Jing Lvud aLancaster University; bUniversity of Aberdeen; cTianjin University; dZhongtian Science & Technology 
Organisation Zhongyuan University of Technology
Country China 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Biocatalysis is widely employed in the manufacture of chemicals and pharmaceuticals, where enzymes are used in the commercial synthesis of two thirds of chiral products for drug syntheses.1 Over a quarter of the known enzymes are oxidoreductases which catalyse reduction reactions for enantioselective synthesis and require the action of a cofactor, typically nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) or its phosphorylated form (NADPH). NAD(P)H serves as hydride donor (energy carrier) and is oxidised to NAD(P)+ (Fig. 1). Given the high cost of NADH ($2,600/mol, NADPH $70,000/mol),2 efficient regeneration (NAD(P)+?NAD(P)H) is required. Several methods have been developed for the regeneration of 1,4-NAD(P)H including enzymatic, chemical, electrocatalytic, homogeneous-catalytic, heterogeneous-catalytic and photocatalytic routes.1 Photocatalytic approach has become an emerging topic due to the promise of utilising abundant solar energy. High yields are unfortunately only achievable using a mediator, typically an organic Rh complex ([Cp*Rh(bpy)Cl]+), whose role is to selectively transfer a hydride to NAD(P)+ while the role of the photocatalyst is indeed to regenerate the mediator.1,3 The use of mediator should ideally be removed as it contains the expensive rare metal, extra preparation procedures and product separation steps. Some reports in the literature do exist for mediator-free systems where the enzymatically validated yield of NAD(P)H is typically low, for example, <30% with byproducts (46%) also generated.4 However, more often than not, the yield is not even quantitatively validated.5 Without mediators the yield and selectivity of NAD(P)H remain a significant challenge.We have recently demonstrated for the first time a novel strategy for NADH regeneration that draws on continuous-flow photocatalysis using Pt/g-C3N4 in water.6 Using no mediators, 100% NADH regeneration yield (validated) has been achieved. The complete removal of mediators and the use of solid catalyst in continuous-flow simplify downstream separation for facile process development. This makes the first step towards an efficient and clean method of cofactor regeneration for biosynthesis. In this project, we propose to develop the continuous-flow system from both the photocatalytic materials and reactor engineering perspectives. We will also investigate the feasibility of integrating such NAD(P)H regeneration technology in tandem with enzymatic chiral synthesis
Collaborator Contribution We are very interested in this project and should this application be successful, our commitments would be £35,000 in total, where £21,000 is cash contribution (to extend the PDRA time for further 6 months, beyond the initial 18 months funded by the Hub) and £14,000 is in kind contribution including the use of equipment (see next page) via us, associated staff time and consumables.We will in all 24 months, as in-kind contribution, provide access to materials characterization equipment mainly including Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), High-resolution Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) with Optical Emission Spectrometer (OES) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM). We
Impact Given the exciting and original nature of the work, we expect and will actively pursue at least one publication in high profile multidisciplinary chemistry journal such as Nature Chemistry or JACS. Results from other studies from each WP will be submitted to high-impact catalysis journals for publication. It is noteworthy that funded by the Hub (for a year) in a previous Call, we have published the results in Joule.6 Research findings will also be presented at international conferences. Project execution will contribute decisively in the creation of a new research line at a global level. We will work with our industrial collaborator to seek potential commercial exploitations of the project outcomes. Larger proposals under the framework of EPSRC, NSFC and ERC will be considered for follow-up.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Removal of Low Concentration Pollutants from Potable Water 
Organisation Northumbrian Water
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution The quality of potable water is of paramount importance for society. Taste and odour are two of the major criteria used by consumers in terms of assessing drinking water. Two common contaminants in this regard are 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) and trans-1,10-dimethyl-trans- 9-decalol (geosmin). These are algal metabolites and are present at ppb levels in water leading to a musty taste/odour. Typically, these are not removed by conventional water treatment processes such as coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation and filtration [1] and their removal is commonly undertaken using activated carbon which is difficult to recycle and is converted into sludge. More recently, the use of biocatalysis has been shown to be effective in removing these molecules [2]; however, the (bio)filtration step conventionally is after the conventional flocculation step which limits the ability for the biocatalyst to operate due to the lack of nutrients in the water. Furthermore, advanced oxidation processes have been studied, for example using ozone and other oxidants combined with UV. Whilst these do remove geosmin and MIB toxic by-products are formed. The aim of this proposal is to develop a heterogeneous catalytic advanced oxidation process which will be effective in removing geosmin and MIB with a high throughput of water without the challenges faced by the biofiltration process and without the formation of toxic by-products. Aims and objectives The aims of this proposal are: (i) to develop high surface area metal oxides for the adsorption of geosmin and MIB; (ii) to catalytically regenerate the metal oxides on saturation via complete mineralisation of the surface adsorbents; and (iii) to compare and evaluate the processes developed to test on real feedstocks.
Collaborator Contribution To help deliver this project NWG, subject to the appropriate agreements being in place, will provide a financial contribution of £5,000 over 2 years, water samples and existing data as well as in-kind support over the project duration being part of the Advisory Board providing information to assist in the technology development and how the outputs can be utilised in our region Scottish Water would be pleased to collaborate closely and provide the following support: • Attendance at progress meetings. • Supply of samples of water • Advice on analytical protocols • Contribution to scientific publications. • Provision of expertise in relation to interpreting experimental results. • Subject to funding approval, Scottish Water will provide up to £20k in-kind contribution for the above, and up to £5K contribution to the research costs.
Impact The quality of potable water is of paramount importance for society. Taste and odour are two of the major criteria used by consumers in terms of assessing drinking water. Two common contaminants in this regard are 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) and trans-1,10-dimethyl-trans- 9-decalol (geosmin). These are algal metabolites and are present at ppb levels in water leading to a musty taste/odour. Typically, these are not removed by conventional water treatment processes such as coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation and filtration [1] and their removal is commonly undertaken using activated carbon which is difficult to recycle and is converted into sludge. More recently, the use of biocatalysis has been shown to be effective in removing these molecules [2]; however, the (bio)filtration step conventionally is after the conventional flocculation step which limits the ability for the biocatalyst to operate due to the lack of nutrients in the water. Furthermore, advanced oxidation processes have been studied, for example using ozone and other oxidants combined with UV. Whilst these do remove geosmin and MIB toxic by-products are formed. The aim of this proposal is to develop a heterogeneous catalytic advanced oxidation process which will be effective in removing geosmin and MIB with a high throughput of water without the challenges faced by the biofiltration process and without the formation of toxic by-products. Aims and objectives The aims of this proposal are: (i) to develop high surface area metal oxides for the adsorption of geosmin and MIB; (ii) to catalytically regenerate the metal oxides on saturation via complete mineralisation of the surface adsorbents; and (iii) to compare and evaluate the processes developed to test on real feedstocks.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Removal of Low Concentration Pollutants from Potable Water 
Organisation Scottish Water
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution The quality of potable water is of paramount importance for society. Taste and odour are two of the major criteria used by consumers in terms of assessing drinking water. Two common contaminants in this regard are 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) and trans-1,10-dimethyl-trans- 9-decalol (geosmin). These are algal metabolites and are present at ppb levels in water leading to a musty taste/odour. Typically, these are not removed by conventional water treatment processes such as coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation and filtration [1] and their removal is commonly undertaken using activated carbon which is difficult to recycle and is converted into sludge. More recently, the use of biocatalysis has been shown to be effective in removing these molecules [2]; however, the (bio)filtration step conventionally is after the conventional flocculation step which limits the ability for the biocatalyst to operate due to the lack of nutrients in the water. Furthermore, advanced oxidation processes have been studied, for example using ozone and other oxidants combined with UV. Whilst these do remove geosmin and MIB toxic by-products are formed. The aim of this proposal is to develop a heterogeneous catalytic advanced oxidation process which will be effective in removing geosmin and MIB with a high throughput of water without the challenges faced by the biofiltration process and without the formation of toxic by-products. Aims and objectives The aims of this proposal are: (i) to develop high surface area metal oxides for the adsorption of geosmin and MIB; (ii) to catalytically regenerate the metal oxides on saturation via complete mineralisation of the surface adsorbents; and (iii) to compare and evaluate the processes developed to test on real feedstocks.
Collaborator Contribution To help deliver this project NWG, subject to the appropriate agreements being in place, will provide a financial contribution of £5,000 over 2 years, water samples and existing data as well as in-kind support over the project duration being part of the Advisory Board providing information to assist in the technology development and how the outputs can be utilised in our region Scottish Water would be pleased to collaborate closely and provide the following support: • Attendance at progress meetings. • Supply of samples of water • Advice on analytical protocols • Contribution to scientific publications. • Provision of expertise in relation to interpreting experimental results. • Subject to funding approval, Scottish Water will provide up to £20k in-kind contribution for the above, and up to £5K contribution to the research costs.
Impact The quality of potable water is of paramount importance for society. Taste and odour are two of the major criteria used by consumers in terms of assessing drinking water. Two common contaminants in this regard are 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) and trans-1,10-dimethyl-trans- 9-decalol (geosmin). These are algal metabolites and are present at ppb levels in water leading to a musty taste/odour. Typically, these are not removed by conventional water treatment processes such as coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation and filtration [1] and their removal is commonly undertaken using activated carbon which is difficult to recycle and is converted into sludge. More recently, the use of biocatalysis has been shown to be effective in removing these molecules [2]; however, the (bio)filtration step conventionally is after the conventional flocculation step which limits the ability for the biocatalyst to operate due to the lack of nutrients in the water. Furthermore, advanced oxidation processes have been studied, for example using ozone and other oxidants combined with UV. Whilst these do remove geosmin and MIB toxic by-products are formed. The aim of this proposal is to develop a heterogeneous catalytic advanced oxidation process which will be effective in removing geosmin and MIB with a high throughput of water without the challenges faced by the biofiltration process and without the formation of toxic by-products. Aims and objectives The aims of this proposal are: (i) to develop high surface area metal oxides for the adsorption of geosmin and MIB; (ii) to catalytically regenerate the metal oxides on saturation via complete mineralisation of the surface adsorbents; and (iii) to compare and evaluate the processes developed to test on real feedstocks.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Removal of Low Concentration Pollutants from Potable Water 
Organisation Welsh Water
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution The quality of potable water is of paramount importance for society. Taste and odour are two of the major criteria used by consumers in terms of assessing drinking water. Two common contaminants in this regard are 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) and trans-1,10-dimethyl-trans- 9-decalol (geosmin). These are algal metabolites and are present at ppb levels in water leading to a musty taste/odour. Typically, these are not removed by conventional water treatment processes such as coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation and filtration [1] and their removal is commonly undertaken using activated carbon which is difficult to recycle and is converted into sludge. More recently, the use of biocatalysis has been shown to be effective in removing these molecules [2]; however, the (bio)filtration step conventionally is after the conventional flocculation step which limits the ability for the biocatalyst to operate due to the lack of nutrients in the water. Furthermore, advanced oxidation processes have been studied, for example using ozone and other oxidants combined with UV. Whilst these do remove geosmin and MIB toxic by-products are formed. The aim of this proposal is to develop a heterogeneous catalytic advanced oxidation process which will be effective in removing geosmin and MIB with a high throughput of water without the challenges faced by the biofiltration process and without the formation of toxic by-products. Aims and objectives The aims of this proposal are: (i) to develop high surface area metal oxides for the adsorption of geosmin and MIB; (ii) to catalytically regenerate the metal oxides on saturation via complete mineralisation of the surface adsorbents; and (iii) to compare and evaluate the processes developed to test on real feedstocks.
Collaborator Contribution To help deliver this project NWG, subject to the appropriate agreements being in place, will provide a financial contribution of £5,000 over 2 years, water samples and existing data as well as in-kind support over the project duration being part of the Advisory Board providing information to assist in the technology development and how the outputs can be utilised in our region Scottish Water would be pleased to collaborate closely and provide the following support: • Attendance at progress meetings. • Supply of samples of water • Advice on analytical protocols • Contribution to scientific publications. • Provision of expertise in relation to interpreting experimental results. • Subject to funding approval, Scottish Water will provide up to £20k in-kind contribution for the above, and up to £5K contribution to the research costs.
Impact The quality of potable water is of paramount importance for society. Taste and odour are two of the major criteria used by consumers in terms of assessing drinking water. Two common contaminants in this regard are 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) and trans-1,10-dimethyl-trans- 9-decalol (geosmin). These are algal metabolites and are present at ppb levels in water leading to a musty taste/odour. Typically, these are not removed by conventional water treatment processes such as coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation and filtration [1] and their removal is commonly undertaken using activated carbon which is difficult to recycle and is converted into sludge. More recently, the use of biocatalysis has been shown to be effective in removing these molecules [2]; however, the (bio)filtration step conventionally is after the conventional flocculation step which limits the ability for the biocatalyst to operate due to the lack of nutrients in the water. Furthermore, advanced oxidation processes have been studied, for example using ozone and other oxidants combined with UV. Whilst these do remove geosmin and MIB toxic by-products are formed. The aim of this proposal is to develop a heterogeneous catalytic advanced oxidation process which will be effective in removing geosmin and MIB with a high throughput of water without the challenges faced by the biofiltration process and without the formation of toxic by-products. Aims and objectives The aims of this proposal are: (i) to develop high surface area metal oxides for the adsorption of geosmin and MIB; (ii) to catalytically regenerate the metal oxides on saturation via complete mineralisation of the surface adsorbents; and (iii) to compare and evaluate the processes developed to test on real feedstocks.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Solar-driven, Inexpensive, Photoelectrochemical Reactor for Treating High Ionic Strength Waste Water 
Organisation Johnson Matthey
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution WP 1 of the 'Catalysis at the Water-Energy Nexus' hub theme is concerned with the treatment of high ionic strength waste water, i.e. contaminated saline, with [NaCl] > 50 mM. Examples of possible sources of contaminated saline include, flowback and produced water from the shale industry, i.e. FBP water, olive oil waste water, tannery effluent and ground water as well as water used in the regeneration of ion exchange resins. The salinity of these waters is too low, and the contamination, usually organic, too high, to be of commercial use to the chlor-alkali industry. However, contaminated saline water is a large pollutant which could provide a potential source of two invaluable chemical feedstocks, namely: hydrogen (a fuel) and hypochlorite (a disinfectant), via the following redox reaction: 2H2O + 2NaCl ???????????? 2 NaOCl + 2H2 (1) It is known that reaction (1) can be effected using a photoanode, such as TiO2, and that its efficiency can be as high as 75%, if a small potential bias (ca. 0.2 V vs Ag/AgCl) is applied to the photoanode. Thus, in alignment with WP1.2 in the Technical Annex of the original application, this project is focussed on the use of semiconductor photo(electro)catalysis to produce H2 and an oxidised from of chloride, such as NaOCl, from saline, whilst at the same time destroying any organic contamination via the following mineralization reaction: organic + 2H2O ???????????? CO2 + 2H2 mineral acids
Collaborator Contribution JM: intellectual input, steering, meetings reference materials QUB supporting PDRA time
Impact The proposed technology will create an inexpensive solar-driven photoelectrochemical cell for treating high ionic strength water so as to produce a fuel and disinfectant which has the potential to improve the lives of millions. This will pioneer the way to provide these invaluable chemicals at remote and/or poor locations. The scaled up version of the cell offers a novel route to clean up industrially polluted waters, such as FBP water.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Solar-driven, Inexpensive, Photoelectrochemical Reactor for Treating High Ionic Strength Waste Water 
Organisation Queen's University Belfast
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution WP 1 of the 'Catalysis at the Water-Energy Nexus' hub theme is concerned with the treatment of high ionic strength waste water, i.e. contaminated saline, with [NaCl] > 50 mM. Examples of possible sources of contaminated saline include, flowback and produced water from the shale industry, i.e. FBP water, olive oil waste water, tannery effluent and ground water as well as water used in the regeneration of ion exchange resins. The salinity of these waters is too low, and the contamination, usually organic, too high, to be of commercial use to the chlor-alkali industry. However, contaminated saline water is a large pollutant which could provide a potential source of two invaluable chemical feedstocks, namely: hydrogen (a fuel) and hypochlorite (a disinfectant), via the following redox reaction: 2H2O + 2NaCl ???????????? 2 NaOCl + 2H2 (1) It is known that reaction (1) can be effected using a photoanode, such as TiO2, and that its efficiency can be as high as 75%, if a small potential bias (ca. 0.2 V vs Ag/AgCl) is applied to the photoanode. Thus, in alignment with WP1.2 in the Technical Annex of the original application, this project is focussed on the use of semiconductor photo(electro)catalysis to produce H2 and an oxidised from of chloride, such as NaOCl, from saline, whilst at the same time destroying any organic contamination via the following mineralization reaction: organic + 2H2O ???????????? CO2 + 2H2 mineral acids
Collaborator Contribution JM: intellectual input, steering, meetings reference materials QUB supporting PDRA time
Impact The proposed technology will create an inexpensive solar-driven photoelectrochemical cell for treating high ionic strength water so as to produce a fuel and disinfectant which has the potential to improve the lives of millions. This will pioneer the way to provide these invaluable chemicals at remote and/or poor locations. The scaled up version of the cell offers a novel route to clean up industrially polluted waters, such as FBP water.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Stable and economic iridium catalysts for renewable energy technologies 
Organisation Added Value Solutions
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is pertinent to sustainable energy technologies including water electrolysis, electrochemical biomass upgrading and batteries.1, 2 However, only iridium based OER catalysts (IrOx) at high loadings (>2 mg/cm2) are sufficiently stable and active in proton exchange membrane electrolysers (PEM-ELs). Indeed, catalyst costs and sustainability are the primary barriers for the grid-scale (kW to GW) PEM-ELs.2 One strategy to improve IrOx utilisation is to support platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts on high surface area conductive supports that can withstand the PEM-EL operating conditions. Indeed, some catalyst-support interactions have been shown to enhance catalyst activity and stability.3 Furthermore, some oxides are stable supports,4 however metal oxide supported catalysts require high IrOx loadings (75 wt%) to maintain conductivity. Strategies such as doping (e.g. Sn and Nb doped TiO2),3 or alloying (e.g. IrNiOx)5 have yielded promising beginning of life activities. However, the stability of such architectures remains a challenge as dopants and alloyed elements can rapidly leach out, increasing cell resistance. Our recent investigations reveal that IrOx supported on Pt or Au (M) conductive layer (CL) coated titanium dioxide (IrOx-TiO2@M, Fig 1) exhibit superior OER mass activity to commercial IrOx-TiO2 catalysts. Furthermore, Pt and Au are magnitudes more abundant than Ir, a by-product of Pt mining.6 Thus, replacing Ir and reducing the total PGM costs represents a pathway to improved economic viability for PEM-EL. The postulation, demonstrated by rotating disk electrode (RDE) studies, is that the thin CL allows higher dispersion of Ir catalysts on the support, and thus, improves PGM mass activity. Recent investigations also indicate that supported and core-shell Ir catalysts show higher activity compared with unsupported IrOx due to the longer Ir-O bond in Ir(III)Ox than in Ir(IV)Ox.4 However, much is unknown of the active phase during operando OER, and how the different catalyst-support motifs participate in synergy to enhance activities. We propose the development of an innovative electrochemical flow cell for operando investigations on the electronic and local structural properties of the IrOx supported on Pt or Au coated TiO2 (Fig 1) under PEM-EL conditions. Generating protons from biomass conversion instead of OER is more efficient because the anodic potentials are lower.1,7 Thus, we will test the catalysts for reductive and oxidative electrochemical biomass conversion (EBC) of model compounds phenol7 and glycerol1, respectively. Novel in situ EBC investigations using synchrotron based XAFS, XES and SAXS will probe catalyst geometric and electronic structure under lower applied potentials (<1.23 V) relative to water splitting potentials (>1.23 V). In collaboration with AVS UK, we will uncover commercially viable break through catalysts and device technologies to be deployed in reversible fuel cells for space aviation technologies.2 The innovative design of the proposed flow cell will allow in situ operation to probe electrochemical water splitting, biomass upgrading and reversible fuel cell operations under synchrotron radiation, mimicking operando conditions
Collaborator Contribution We envision the following scenario: - AVS UK will support the PDRA for 6-months - There will be an opportunity for the PDRA to continue with AVS UK beyond the project lifetime if the PDRA and AVS UK can come to an agreement - The PDRA will integrate the materials developed during the project into a reversible fuel cell for space aviation technologies - The PDRA will have access to AVS UK facilities and technicians during the lifetime of the project - AVS UK will also participate in electrochemical flow cell designing and testing stage - AVS UK and MFCIC at Manchester Metropolitan University have a memorandum of understanding in place to collaborate on several fuel cell and electrolyser projects
Impact Development og electrolysers for fuel cell aplication for satelite technologies
Start Year 2020