Program

	Tuesday January 16	2024
11:00 – 12:00	RegistrationFaculty of Sciences, HuygensgebouwHeyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, NL
	Lunch
13:00 – 13:10	Welcome	Catchy representative
13:10 – 13:20		Organization committee
13:20 – 13:40		Prof. Britta Redlich HFML-FELIX, NLDirector
	Chair Sumant Phadke Dimitra Papamichail
13:40 – 14:20	Nanoscale Control in Heterogeneous Catalysis for a Sustainable FutureInvited Lecture 1Efficient utilization of transition metals is one of the most important requirements for heterogenous catalysts. Design rules for nanoparticle catalysts are well established and often imply that sub-optimal metal dispersion is desired for high activity. Metal-support interactions can have a strong impact on the catalytic performance of metal nanoparticles. Specific sites at the metal-support interface can give rise to unusual high reactivity. In this contribution, I will review structure sensitivity for monometallic and bimetallic catalysts and demonstrate the possibility to tune metal-support interfaces towards high CO2 hydrogenation and CO oxidation activity. The approach entails experimental work involving synthesis of uniform active phases, operando characterization, transient kinetic analysis augmented with density functional theory calculations of mechanism and microkinetics simulations. The first example deals with approaches to break structure sensitivity. For this, we use cobalt dispersed on ceria-zirconia support materials. We first establish how the size of the support crystallites can stabilize cobalt nanoparticles. Then, we investigate how incomplete reduction of cobalt oxide can lead to cobalt-cobalt oxide interfaces with a much higher CO2 methanation activity than conventional cobalt nanoparticle catalysts. This work shows the promise of very small metal clusters stabilized on an oxide for achieving high CO2 methanation activity. Second, I will show how tuning the size of CeO2 crystallites can strongly affect the stability and reactivity of single metal atoms. The improved reducibility displayed by CeO2 particles of a few nanometer as contrasted to bulk CeO2 with a size of tens of nanometers translates in retention of single Pd atoms with improved kinetics for low-temperature CO oxidation.   Keywords: Catalysis, Structure sensitivity, Metal, Support, CO2 hydrogenation   Key references: Parastaev, E.J.M. Hensen et al. Nat. Catal. 2020, 3, 526-533 V. Muravev, E.J.M. Hensen et al. Nat. Catal. 2021, 4, 469-478 V. Muravev, E.J.M. Hensen et al. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022, e202200434 Parastaev, E.J.M. Hensen et al. Nat. Catal. 2022, 5, 1051-1060 V. Muravev, E.J.M. Hensen et al. Science 2023, 380, 1174-1178	Prof. Emiel HensenEindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), NLInorganic Materials & Catalysis
14:20 – 14:40	Activation of CO2 by free metal oxide clustersHot topic presentation 1Motivated by the performance of the industrially employed Cu/ZnO catalyst for direct CO2 hydrogenation, the European training network CATCHY seeks to develop new and high-performance cluster-based catalysts. As part of this project, we utilize transition metal oxide clusters in the gas phase as model systems to study the fundamental driving forces that determine the reactive and catalytic properties of such catalysts. So far, we have investigated the interaction of CO2 with small copper oxide, cobalt oxide and yttrium oxide clusters via infrared multiple-photon dissociation (IR-MPD) spectroscopy (collaboration with J. Bakker, FELIX laboratory). Clusters were produced by laser ablation of a metal target in the presence of He carrier gas seeded with O2. Independent of the metal, cluster formation appears to be strongly charge dependent, with cations preferably forming oxygen-rich clusters, while anions tend to form stoichiometric and oxygen-deficient clusters. To study the cluster-CO2 interaction, a CO2/He mixture was subsequently introduced in an adjacent flow tube reactor and the resulting reaction products were investigated via infrared spectroscopy. In the case of cationic copper and cobalt oxide complexes, the characteristic Fermi dyad of CO2 is observed, indicating the presence of physisorbed, unactivated linear CO2. In contrast, all anionic cluster complexes show bands which are characteristic for an activated bent CO2 molecule. Most interestingly, the IR-MPD spectra of yttrium oxide-CO2 complexes appear to be more complex than the spectra of the copper and cobalt oxide complexes, potentially indicating different CO2 binding motifs.	Pavol Mikolaj Ulm University, DECatchy
14:40 – 15:00	Energy Transitions at Hapag-Lloyd Hot topic presentation 2Hapag-Lloyd operates 250 Vessels, consuming more than 4.3 million tons of fuel oil, emitting 15.7 mil. ton CO2e WTW per year. We have an ambition to be net-zero carbon by 2045 and reduce CO2 intensity of the entire fleet by 30% by 2030 EEOI vs. 2019. In addition to possible efficiency and optimization measures, we will need green fuels to meet these targets. We are already bunkering biofuels and LNG but to meet our decarbonization targets, we will need to increase our biofuels consumption, switch from fossil LNG to bio-LNG and secure offtake of future green fuels. In this talk, I will explain different production pathways for green fuels, their certification requirements, maritime regulations and challenges.	Ilyas MuhammadHapag-Lloyd, DE
	Coffee Break
15:20 – 16:00	Dynamic catalyst restructuring observed in NAP-STM: Substrate and environment effectsInvited Lecture 2Understanding the atomic-scale composition, structure and the nature of the active sites of heterogeneous catalysts is a prerequisite to improving established systems, and can provide the basis for intelligent design of new catalysts. However, it is now well established that characterizations performed in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) often do not capture the full complexity of these systems. Instead, real catalysts typically exhibit dynamic restructuring to a working state under the reactive gas environment and at elevated temperatures, but may revert back to an inactive state when they are removed from that environment. To gain a true understanding of the involved atomic-scale structural dynamics and active site formation, in situ or operando measurements are required. In this talk, I will present results from two different systems exhibiting such restructuring, which were studied using a combination of near-ambient pressure scanning tunnelling microscopy (NAP-STM) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS). The first is an In2O3/Pd(111) inverse model catalyst, which is active for CO2 hydrogenation already at room temperature. Immediate reduction and restructuring is observed when exposing the catalyst to the reaction atmosphere, but the original state can be restored by annealing in oxygen. Second, I will show the effect of reducing and oxidizing atmospheres on the SMSI-state of cluster and nanoparticle Pt catalysts on rutile TiO2 at pressures from UHV up to 1 mbar. Depending on the gas environment, we observe qualitative differences in oxidation state and thickness of the encapsulating layers being formed. We also find a strong dependence on the degree of reduction in the support.	Dr. Florian KraushoferTechnische Universität München, DEFunctional Nanomaterials
16:00 – 17:30	Welcome Activity
	Wednesday January 17	2024
	Chair Esperanza Sedano Varo Pavol Mikolaj
09:00 – 09:40	Tuning catalytic activities with low-atomicity clusters for CO2 valorization Invited Lecture 4Low atomicity clusters are composed of a small number of metal atoms (less than ≈15 atoms). They present novel properties such as fluorescence, catalysis, photocatalysis, and biomedical properties that differ from larger clusters, nanoparticles, and the same metal in bulk. These properties strongly depend on cluster size. It is well known that AQCs have strong catalytic activities for different reactions, presenting enhanced selectivities and new mechanisms over those of nanoparticles and bulk, and more tunability to different reactions compared to single atoms. In this talk, several illustrative examples of how catalytic activity for CO2 valorization can be tuned by changing cluster and support interactions.	Dr. David BucetaNANOGAP, ES
09:40 – 10:20	Spatial Modulation of CO2 and Internal CO Reduction Leads to High Selectivity and Product Functionality in CO2 ElectrolysisInvited Lecture 3Carbon dioxide (CO2) electrolysis to produce hydrocarbons and oxygenates using copper (Cu) based catalysts has attracted substantial interest due to the direct production of versatile C2+ feedstocks . Inside the reactor, however, CO2 electrolyzers produce C2+ compounds occur via a two-step tandem CO2 to CO and CO to C2+ steps. Such knowledge has been utilized in catalyst and cathode-to-anode reactor design, but sparingly in the in-plane design of the system. Here we use the knowledge that CO2 reduction on copper is primarily a tandem reaction, and through modulation of the reactor flow rate achieve C2+ selectivity 84% at CO2 utilizations of 31%, exceeding theoretical CO2 utilization efficiencies of 25% for C2+ products. We show that higher utilizations are possible when a subset of the reactor performing only CO reduction, instead of CO2 reduction, preventing excess CO2 conversion to carbonates. Through use of varied flow field (serpentine, parallel, interdigitated) and pure CO-fed electrolysis, we link these our results to CO residence time. Notably we find that while ethylene production is constant with flow rate (~40%), oxygenates increase substantially at lower flow rates, reaching 45% at 10 SCCM. Finally, we posit that researchers should switch to combined ethylene + ethanol selectivity as a qualifying metric due to the ease of dehydrating ethanol to form ethylene and a demonstrated inability to fully control ethylene:oxygenate branching pathways. Efforts should then shift to the removal of ethanol from membrane electrode assembly systems and downstream recovery through existing commercial processes.	Dr. Tom BurdynyTU Delft, NLChemical Engineering
	Coffee Break
10:40 – 11:20	IR spectroscopy of protonated fullerenes Invited Lecture 5The presence of C60 and C70 in the interstellar medium had long been hypothesized, but was firmly established by spectroscopic evidence a little more than a decade ago 1-3. It is then a small step to accept that also fullerene derivatives must be present. In fact, already in the 1980’s, Sir Harold Kroto himself contemplated on the presence of these fullerene derivatives; in particular, he suggested that protonated fullerenes were perhaps the most likely candidates 4. However, for a long time, decent laboratory spectra for these protonated fullerene derivatives have been unavailable. Interestingly, the symmetry-breaking effects of fullerene derivatization are quite obviously significant and are expected to be reflected in the spectra; computational spectra alone are therefore not sufficient and laboratory spectra are crucial to confirm their influence on the spectra. Using the FELIX free-electron laser, we reported the first IR spectra of C60H+ (see Figure 1) and C70H+, using IR multiple-photon dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy in an ion trap mass spectrometer equipped with an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) source 5,6. Indeed, the attachment of a proton and the inherent symmetry lowering alter the IR spectra entirely as compared to their neutral analogues. With the experimental spectra in hand, we can comment on the performance of density functional theory calculations in predicting the IR spectra. We find that the B3LYP functional and a sufficiently large basis set reproduce the experimental spectra accurately. The protonated fullerenes possess exactly one fundamental CH stretch band in the 3 micro meter spectral range. Our earlier experiments were unable to detect this band due to the limited pulse energy of FELIX, as well as of our OPO laser source. Recent updates to the FELIX beamline now allow us to access the 3 micro meter range with much higher laser power, which has enabled us to record these diagnostic IR bands. We will show that the band position deviates significantly from the value that we had earlier estimated from the scaled harmonic frequency predicted by the DFT calculations 5. We also contrasted our laboratory IR spectra against astronomical spectra of objects known to feature abundant emission bands of neutral C60. In addition to the four well-known C60 bands, these objects show partly resolved emission bands that deviate clearly from typical PAH emission spectra. Our overlay shows that protonated fullerenes, as well as other low-symmetry fullerene derivatives, may indeed explain much of this partly resolved envelope 5,6. 1. J. Cami, J. Bernard-Salas, E. Peeters, S.E. Malek, Science 329, 1180 (2010). 2. K. Sellgren et al. ApJL 724, L39 (2010). 3. E.K. Campbell, M. Holz, D. Gerlich, J.P. Maier, Nature 523, 322 (2015). 4. H.W. Kroto, M. Jura, A&A 263, 275 (1992) 5. J. Palotás, J. Martens, G. Berden, J. Oomens, Nature Astron. 4, 240 (2020). 6. J. Palotás, J. Martens, G. Berden, J. Oomens, ApJL 909, L17 (2021)	Prof. Jos OomensRadboud University, NLMolecular structure and dynamics
11:20 – 11:40	Exploring CO2 interactions with Cu clusters in superfluid helium nanodroplets Hot topic presentation 3Copper-based catalysts hold promise for CO2 utilization but face inefficiency and high-energy demands, exacerbating emissions. Understanding CO2 interaction at a molecular level is key for better catalyst design. Our research uses copper clusters mimicking active sites to explore their impact on CO2 structure. Prior work delved into cationic Cu clusters’ role in CO2 hydrogenation via IR spectroscopy at FELIX using laser ablation sources.1,2 We now demonstrate formation of charged clusters through metal doping of multiply charged superfluid helium nano-droplets (mc-HNDs), serving as ultracold (0.4 K) nano-reactors for studying cluster reactions with CO2. This study involves verifying cluster structure with He as a probe before studying their reaction with CO2.3 Further, we analyze cluster-CO2 complexes using collision-induced dissociation and photo-fragmentation spectroscopy of He-tagged ions to gather insights into their structure and binding energies. 1. O.V. Lushchikova et al. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 23,47 (2021) 2. O.V. Lushchikova et al. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 10, 9 (2019) 3. O.V. Lushchikova et al. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 25,12 (2023)	Dr. Olga LushchikovaUniversity of Innsbruck, ATNano-Bio-Physik
11:40 – 12:00	An Electrochemical Cell for Operando Grazing-Incidence X-ray Absorption Spectroscopic Studies of Low-Loaded Electrodes Hot topic presentation 4X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is a powerful technique that can provide element specific information on the local electronic and structural properties of newly developed electrocatalysts, especially when performed under operating conditions (i.e., operando). However, the large amounts of catalyst typically needed to achieve sufficiently high spectral quality and temporal resolution can result in working electrodes of several micrometers in thickness. This can in turn lead to an inhomogeneous potential distribution across the electrode, delamination and/or incomplete utilization of the catalyst layer, severe bubble formation and accumulation due to poor mass transport properties.1, 2 In addition, the activity and selectivity of a catalyst are often measured in a different cell geometry (e.g., using rotating disk electrodes (RDEs)), leading to uncertainties in comparison with the results inferred from spectroscopic data.3 To tackle these problems we have developed a new spectroelectrochemical XAS flow cell that enables spectral acquisition in fluorescence mode using an X-ray beam incidence angle of ≤ 0.1° with regards to the working electrode’s substrate plane, i.e., in a so called grazing incidence (GI) configuration. In this acquisition configuration we successfully tracked the formation of palladium hydride with a time resolution of 10 seconds per spectrum while using a Pd-loading as low as 20 µgPd∙cm-2. Moreover, the careful design of the working electrode flow field allows the study of faradaic processes (e.g., O2-reduction) under mass-transport controlled conditions entailing currents comparable to those attained in RDE measurements (≤ 10 mA∙cm−2). The combination of these features with an ion-conductive membrane to separate the working- and counter-electrode compartments additionally enables the detection of gaseous products (e.g., from CO2-electroreduction) by degassing them out of the electrolyte and analyzing them in time-resolved fashion by means of mass spectrometry.4 1. Diklić, N., et al., Potential Pitfalls in the Operando XAS Study of Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysts. ACS Energy Letters, 2022. 7(5): p. 1735-1740. 2. Diercks, J.S., et al., Spectroscopy vs. Electrochemistry: Catalyst Layer Thickness Effects on Operando/In Situ Measurements. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl, 2023: p. e202216633. 3. Diercks, J.S., et al., Interplay between Surface-Adsorbed CO and Bulk Pd Hydride under CO2-Electroreduction Conditions. ACS Catalysis, 2022: p. 10727-10741. 4. Khanipour, P., et al., Electrochemical Real-Time Mass Spectrometry (EC-RTMS): Monitoring Electrochemical Reaction Products in Real Time. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl, 2019. 58(22): p. 7273-7277	Maximilian Winzely Paul Scherrer Institut, CHCatchy
	Lunch
	Chair Deema Balalta Filippo Romeggio
13:00 – 14:20	Poster Session
14:20 – 14:40	High pressure microreactor designed for testing minute quantities of catalysts deposited on planar surfaces: A case study of CO2 hydrogenation on PdZnOx clustersHot topic presentation 5This study introduces a microreactor designed for the assessment of minute quantities of nanoparticles, specifically synthesized using cluster beam deposition technology. The primary aim of this microreactor is to enable the testing of well-defined nanoparticles under industrially relevant conditions, thereby closing the gap between surface science and catalysis approaches. The microreactor, featuring a precisely engineered microchannel measuring 48 × 16 × 0.070mm, serves as a controlled environment for evaluating the catalytic performance of Pd0.5Zn0.5Ox nanoparticles produced via CDB and deposited on planar substrates. These nanoparticles exhibit remarkable activity in the CO2 hydrogenation process, particularly in the reverse water gas shift reaction.	Imran Abbas KU Leuven, BECatchy
14:40 – 15:00	Stable mass-selected AuTiOx nanoparticles for CO oxidationHot topic presentation 6Stability under reactive conditions poses a common challenge for cluster- and nanoparticle based catalysts. Since the catalytic properties of < 5 nm gold nanoparticles were first uncovered, optimizing their stability at elevated temperatures for CO oxidation has been a central theme. Here we report direct observations of improved stability of AuTiOx alloy nanoparticles for CO oxidation compared with pure Au nanoparticles on TiO2. The nanoparticles were synthesized using a magnetron sputtering, gas-phase aggregation cluster source, size-selected using a lateral time-of-flight mass filter and deposited onto TiO2-coated micro-reactors for thermocatalytic activity measurements of CO oxidation. The AuTiOx nanoparticles exhibited improved stability at elevated temperatures, which is attributed to a self-anchoring interaction with the TiO2 substrate. The structure of the AuTiOx nanoparticles was also investigated in detail using Ion Scattering Spectroscopy, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, and Transmission Electron Microscopy. The measurements showed that the alloyed nanoparticles exhibited a core-shell structure with an Au core surrounded by an AuTiOx shell. The structure of these alloy nanoparticles appeared stable even at temperatures up to 320°C under reactive conditions, for more than 140 hours. The work presented confirms the possibility of tuning catalytic activity and stability via nanoparticle alloying and self-anchoring on TiO2 substrates, and highlights the importance of complementary characterization techniques to investigate and optimize nanoparticle catalyst designs of this nature.	Dr. Rikke Egeberg Tankard DTU, DKPhysics
	Coffee Break
15:20 – 16:00	Magnetic Fields Enhance Mass Transport During Electrocatalytic Reduction of CO2 Invited Lecture 6The selectivity of electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 (CDR) is dictated not only by the intrinsic reactivity of the catalyst but also by the transport of reactants to the catalyst (i.e., mass transport). Current methods for increasing mass transport in CDR rely upon either (1) mechanical agitation or (2) use of gas-diffusion electrodes and are unable to eliminate concentration polarization completely. We have shown that magnetic fields can be used to increase mass transport in electrochemical systems through magnetohydrodynamic effects (MHD). The Lorentz force acting upon ions moving in the solution generates fluidic convection that enhances mass transport and modifies the observed reactivity. We demonstrated that magnetic fields parallel to the surface of the cathode can help increase mass transport and increase the selectivity for the reduction of CO2 compared to the reduction of protons to hydrogen.	Dr. Rui GaoVITO, BEMATCH
16:00 – 17:30	Catchy SB Meeting	Catchy SB members
19:00 – 22:00	Event Dinner De Hemel Franseplaats 1 6511 VS Nijmegen
	Thursday January 18	2024
	Chair Bárbara Zamora Yusti Imran Abbas
09:00 – 09:40	Zooming into electrochemical interfaces: an atomistic view from simulations Invited Lecture 7The structure of the electrode and the electrode, electrolyte interface are pivotal in electrochemistry, as they determine the electrocatalytic activity of an electrocatalyst. Unfortunately, it is difficult to study this interface under in situ conditions. By supplementing experimental observations with computer simulations, density functional theory calculations, ab initio molecular dynamics and force field molecular dynamics, we can gain insight into the atomistic structure at the interface and the physical mechanisms underlying an experimental observation. In this talk, I will take you for a stroll through the atomistic world of simple electrochemical interfaces including Pt and Au single crystal surfaces, but also touching on more complex substrates such as NiOOH. We will study the structure of the interface and elucidate the interaction between ions, adsorbates and electrode (surfaces) as well as the capacitive response of the interface.	Dr. K. Doblhoff-DierLeiden University, NLTheoretical Chemistry
09:40 – 10:00	CO2 and H2 activation on zinc-doped copper clustersHot topic presentation 7Here we systematically investigate the CO2 and H2 activation and dissociation on small CunZn0/+ (n=3-6) clusters using Density Functional Theory. We show that Cu6Zn is a superatom, displaying an increased HOMO-LUMO gap and is inert towards CO2 or H2 activation or dissociation. While other neutral clusters weakly activate CO2, the cationic clusters preferentially bind the CO2 in monodentate nonactivated way. Notably, Cu4Zn allows for the dissociation of activated CO2, whereas larger clusters destabilize all activated CO2 binding modes. Conversely, H2 dissociation is favored on all clusters examined, except for Cu6Zn. Cu3Zn+ and Cu4Zn, favor the formation of formate through the H2 dissociation pathway rather than CO2 dissociation. These findings suggest the potential of these clusters as synthetic targets and underscore their significance in the realm of CO2 hydrogenation.	Bárbara YustiBME, HUCatchy
10:00 – 10:20	Gas-phase Pd Clusters-modified Mesoporous Copper Oxide Hollow Spheres as Electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction to C2+ productsHot topic presentation 8Renewable energy-driven electrochemical CO2 conversion to value-added chemicals is a prospective strategy for addressing global carbon emission and energy consumption issues worldwide. Herein, we report a novel highly efficient electrocatalyst for CO2 conversion in C2+ products based on mesoporous oxygen-rich copper hollow spheres prepared by a colloid templating method, whose surface is uniformly modified by the deposition of different loadings of well-defined Pd clusters of ca. 3 nm diameter using the laser ablation cluster beam deposition (CBD) technology. Primary electrochemical results show that these electrodes are able to reduce CO2 to ethylene with a faradaic efficiency of more than two times higher than that of commercial Cu2O nanoparticles under the same reaction conditions. A clear phase transition from CuO to Cu2O and metallic Cu is occurring under CO2 electro-reduction conditions as highlighted by XRD. These remarkable performances are likely originating from the facile gas charge transport via the mesoporous structure of the oxygen-rich copper spheres as imaged by SEM as well as from their high surface area, which allows a high catalytic activity and a uniform accommodation of the metallic clusters. As CBD is a versatile technique that allows the deposition of virtually any type of well-defined cluster on a large variety of support, this work provides an attractive avenue to achieve stable selective multicarbon products via rational electrode design.	Dr. Trang NguyenKU Leuven, BEQSP
	Coffee Break
10:40 – 11:20	Designed Nanoparticles by Gas Phase Synthesis Invited Lecture 8The talk will describe various methods to produce size selected nanoparticles with flexible choice of materials by gas phase synthesis. It will include the production of complex multi-element nanoparticles with alloy, core-shell or Janus structures. Potential applications and the possibility of scale-up will also be presented.	Prof. Chris BinnsUniversidad de Castilla-La Mancha, ESApplied Nanomagnetism
11:20 – 11:40	Gas phase deposition of well-defined bimetallic gold-silver clusters for photocatalytic applicationsHot topic presentation 9Cluster beam deposition is employed for fabricating well-defined bimetallic plasmonic photocatalysts to enhance their activity while facilitating a more fundamental understanding of their properties. AuxAg1-x clusters with compositions (x = 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9 and 1) spanning the metals miscibility range were produced in the gas-phase and soft-landed on TiO2 P25-coated silicon wafers with an optimal coverage of 4 atomic monolayer equivalents. Electron microscopy images show that at this coverage most clusters remain well dispersed whereas EXAFS data are in agreement with the finding that the deposited clusters have an average size of ca. 5 nm and feature the same composition as the ablated alloy target. A composition-dependant electron transfer from Au to Ag that is likely to impart chemical stability to the bimetallic clusters and protect Ag atoms against oxidation is additionally evidenced by XPS and XANES. Under simulated solar light, AuxAg1-x clusters show a remarkable composition-dependent volcano-type enhancement of their photocatalytic activity towards degradation of stearic acid, a model compound for organic fouling on surfaces. The Formal Quantum Efficiency (FQE) is peaking at the Au0.3Ag0.7 composition with a value that is twice as high as that of the pristine TiO2 P25 under solar simulator. Under UV the FQE of all compositions remains similar to that of pristine TiO2. A classical electromagnetic simulation study confirms that among all compositions Au0.3Ag0.7 features the largest near-field enhancement in the wavelength range of maximal solar light intensity, as well as sufficient individual photon energy resulting in a better photocatalytic self-cleaning activity. This allows ascribing the mechanism for photocatalysis mostly to the plasmonic effect of the bimetallic clusters through direct electron injection and near-field enhancement from the resonant cluster towards the conduction band of TiO2. These results not only demonstrate the added value of using well-defined bimetallic nanocatalysts to enhance their photocatalytic activity but also highlights the potential of the cluster beam deposition to design tailored noble metal modified photocatalytic surfaces with controlled compositions and sizes without involving potentially hazardous chemical agents.	Vana Chinnappa KU Leuven, BEQSP
11:40 – 12:00	Engineering of synergistic materials for upscaling electrochemical CO2 reduction in advanced electrolyzersHot topic presentation 10In an progressively electrified world, electrochemical CO2 conversion has emerged as a promising technology for sustainable energy conversion, enabling the utilization of greenhouse gases. Leveraging surplus power generated from sources such as wind and solar, the process of CO2 reduction can be effectively harnessed with the aid of a catalyst. However, despite the promise, the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) encounters obstacles, including limited *CO coverage, high energy barriers, sluggish kinetics, and product selectivity issues. The industrial utilization of CO2 electroreduction hinges on the presence of sturdy electrocatalysts that exhibit both high activity and selectivity. Notably, functional materials with hetero interfaces have recently emerged as a promising class of electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction. Emphasizing the need for customized catalyst engineering, varying metal tendencies toward oxygen and hydrogen play a pivotal role in shaping catalytic dynamics. Additionally, the utilization of innovative electrolyzer cell designs for CO2 reduction presents a promising avenue for improving reaction kinetics and current densities, overcoming limitations associated with conventional aqueous systems. The ECOMATEs project seeks to contribute to the advancement of bimetallic catalyst-based electrode materials and pioneering electrolyzer setups for efficient and stable electrochemical CO2 conversion, aiming to pave the way for a sustainable and impactful carbon management approach. Through this proposed research we aim to effectuate a substantial breakthrough in the electrochemical conversion of CO2 innovative designs for electrolyzer cells., with a specific focus on the synthesis of high-value-added products, especially C2+. This presentation aims to highlight the ongoing efforts in developing efficient bimetallic catalyst-based electrode materials and state-of-the-art reactor designs, ultimately contributing to the progression of sustainable and effective electrochemical CO2 conversion technologies.	Avni Nandkisho GurujiVITO, BE and Trinity College Dublin, IR
12:00 – 12:40	New insight into an old catalyst: the many faces of copper in methanol synthesisInvited Lecture 9Cu/ZnO-based catalysts are applied in industrial methanol synthesis and show great potential in CO2 hydrogenation. The synergetic and complex interplay of Cu- and Zn-species promotes the conversion of formate intermediates and their activity has been can be further tuned by different electronic and structural promoters. The presentation will cover the materials chemistry of state-of-the-art catalysts and discuss potential future directions for the hydrogenation of CO2 to methanol on modified catalysts.	Prof. Malte BehrensKiel University, DESolid State Chemistry and Catalysis
	Lunch
13:40 – 16:00	Visit of Felix Facility
16:00 – 17:30	Poster Session
	Friday January 19	2024
09:20 – 09:40	Coffee
09:40 – 11:20	Analytical StorytellingSkills training
11:20 – 12:00	Closing speech	Pavol Mikolaj Ulm University, DECatchy
	Lunch
	End of Meeting

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