FOM and ALW invest in sustainable energy
Ten proposals awarded within the programme Towards biosolar cells.
Ten research proposals have been awarded funding within the programme Towards biosolar cells from the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM) and NWO&Division for the Earth and Life Sciences (ALW).The details for the last proposals are still being worked out and the first PhDs and postdocs are already in the lab. They are doing fundamental research into the primary stages of photosynthesis. The results can be used to set new steps in the area of biosolar cells and solar fuels.
Photosynthesis
A solar cell converts sunlight into electricity, but it cannot store the energy produced. Therefore researchers are studying photosynthesis in plants, the process in which sunlight is converted into fuels. If we can make the process more efficient then plants will produce more biomass and so more energy per hectare. They will then function as biosolar cells. However, research is also being done into similar processes in microorganisms and artificial systems. These are the so-called solar fuels.
Artificial leaves
A large proportion of the Towards biosolar cells research concerns 'artificial leaves'. These systems are inspired by photosynthesis but are completely fabricated by researchers. Artificial leaves use sunlight to convert water into hydrogen, which can be stored in carbon compounds just like in a plant. Towards biosolar cells consolidates knowledge from throughout the Netherlands so that the 'missing links' in the system can be investigated and resolved.
Programme set-up
Towards biosolar cells is a collaboration between FOM and ALW, with a contribution from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation. The programme is part of the FES programme 'BioSolar Cells'. A budget of 7 million euros was available for the open funding round. Twenty-five proposals were submitted and ten of these were awarded funding. The programme is multidisciplinary in nature: the proposals awarded funding come from physics, chemistry and biology.
FOM and energy
Energy research is a spearhead in FOM's new strategy. The FOM Institute for Plasma Physics Rijnhuizen will be expanded into a national institute for fundamental energy research at the campus of Eindhoven University of Technology. On top of this, FOM will set up focus groups in this theme and new YES! Fellowships (for Young Energy Scientists) will be launched. FOM is also the initiator of the NWO theme Sustainable energy.
The granted propasals are listed below. For further information please contact Mark de Graef, programme officer at FOM.
| Proposals | Applicants |
| 10TBSC03 Defect engineering at oxide interfaces: Towards efficient ultra-thin absorber films |
Dr.ir. R. van de Krol (TUD) Prof.dr. B. Dam (TUD) |
| 10TBSC07 Nanostructured solar-to-fuel devices |
Prof.dr.ir. J. Huskens (UT) Prof.dr. J.G.E. Gardeniers (UT) Prof.dr. J.L. Herek (UT) Prof.dr. G. Mul (UT) |
| 10TBSC12 Studying the regulation of light harvesting in the green alga Chlamydomonas to improve its productivity under mass culture conditions |
Prof.dr. H. van Amerongen (WUR) Prof.dr. R. Croce (RuG) Prof.dr. E.J. Boekema (RuG) Prof.dr.ir. R.H. Wijffels (WUR) Dr.ir. M.G.J. Janssen (WUR) |
| 10TBSC15 Photoelectrochemical water splitting in artificial nanostructured solar converters |
Prof.dr.ir. R.A.J. Janssen (TU/e) Dr. M.A. Loi (RuG) |
| 10TBSC16 Engineering surface electrical fields and charge separation in water-splitting perovskites |
Dr. R.J. Wijngaarden (VU) Prof.dr. R. van Grondelle (VU) Dr. J.T.M. Kennis (VU) Prof.dr. B. Dam (TUD) |
| 10TBSC18 Nanowire solar energy conversion |
Dr. J.E.M. Haverkort (TU/e) Dr. E.P.A.M. Bakkers (TU/e) Prof.dr. P.H.L. Notten (TU/e) |
| 10TBSC20 Photocatalytic water splitting in microfluidic devices |
Prof.dr. J.N.H. Reek (UvA) Prof.dr. J.G.E. Gardeniers (UT) Dr.ir. J.I. van der Vlugt (UvA) Prof.dr. A.M. Brouwer (UvA) |
| 10TBSC22 Selective photoreduction of CO2 fuels in a microreactor platform |
Prof.dr. E. Bouwman (LEI) Dr. S. Bonnet (LEI) Prof.dr. G. Mul (UT) |
| 10TBSC23 Phenotypic engineering of higher plants: Developing a new paradigm for improving photosynthetic efficiency |
Dr. A. Alia (LEI) Dr. B.J. van der Zaal (LEI) Prof.dr. H.J.M. de Groot (LEI) Prof.dr. P.J.J. Hooykaas (LEI) |
| 10TBSC24 Expanding society's toolbox to harvest solar energy: Creating multi-scale computational models to optimize oxygenic photosynthesis |
Prof.dr. K.J. Hellingwerf (UvA) Prof.dr. R. van Grondelle (VU) Prof.dr.ir. P.C. Struik (WUR) |