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Nuovi catalizzatori per l’elettrolisi dell’acqua: il PRIN

di Chimgeo

New catalysts for the electrolysis of water: Chimgeo’s PRIN

The PRIN 2022 project of the Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, funded within the frame-
work of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, CHICOPEA (Chiral Coordination Polymers for Energy
Applications), stems from the urgent need to decarbonise the world economy. Moving away from fossil
energy sources is the challenge to be met and an integrated approach will be needed. The use of hydrogen
as an energy source will certainly play a role. The current production of hydrogen from fossil sources ac-
counts for 3% of total CO2 emissions, and switching to ‘green’ hydrogen, produced by electrolysis of water
using renewable energies, would make it possible to completely cut this share of emissions. Unfortunately,
the process of electrolysis of water requires catalysts composed of precious metals such as platinum and
iridium, of which Italy and the European Union are not producers. The idea behind the CHICOPEA project
is to use non-precious metals, such as iron, to produce new catalysts for the electrolysis reaction of water,
exploiting what is known as the ‘Chirality-Induced Spin-Selection Effect’ (CISS effect) to improve its catalytic
activity. The ultimate goal of the project is to be able to synthesise a catalyst with comparable performance
to the precious metals currently used in electrolysers, but based on metals from the first transition phase.

l progetto PRIN 2022 del Dipartimento la sfida del nostro tempo, e già sappiamo che
di Scienze Chimiche e Geologiche, fi- per superarla non potremo affidarci ad una sola
nanziato nell’ambito del Piano Nazionale fonte alternativa, ma che sarà necessario un ap-
di Ripresa e Resilienza, CHICOPEA (Chi- proccio integrato. In questo panorama, l’utilizzo
Iral Coordination Polymers for Energy dell’idrogeno come vettore energetico giocherà
Applications), è coordinato dal Prof. Francesco sicuramente un ruolo, per quanto marginale. Ad
Tassinari e ha origine dall’impellente necessità ogni modo, la produzione attuale di idrogeno da

di decarbonizzare l’economia mondiale. fonti fossili è comunque responsabile del 3% delle
emissioni totali di CO2, e il passaggio ad idrogeno
L’abbandono delle fonti energetiche fossili è

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