C2FUe-LS · Turning recycled carbon into valuable fuels for all transport sectors by marrying selective plasma and bio-/chemo-catalysis at mild conditions

+C2Fue-LS aims to develop a direct cold plasma-catalysis pathway, combined with hybrid bio-/nano-catalysis, to efficiently produce alcohols from CO2 recycling, green hydrogen, and renewable electricity. The project focuses on the challenging CO2 plasma-hydrogenation to formaldehyde, followed by its selective conversion to alcohols of precise lengths using a novel formate carboxylase paired with advanced bimetallic nanocatalysts. These catalysts are encapsulated within porous Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and manufactured as digitally structured modules with hierarchical porous structures, enhancing plasma formation and facilitating substrate and product migration during the CO2-to-alcohol conversion.+C2Fue-LS targets high-efficient and selective production of aviation and shipping fuels operating under mild conditions (≤100 ºC, ambient pressure). By leveraging plasma effects—pioneering in room temperature catalysis—and encapsulating hybrid bio-, chemo-, and nano-catalysts within MOFs and digitally structured modules, the project will significantly reduce the energy barriers and boosts process efficiency and selectivity, producing alcohols as fuels and chemicals without the need of additional purification steps.The project’s modular approach allows for the selective synthesis of various alcohols, including ethanol, under sustainable and energy-efficient conditions. +C2Fue-LS encompasses several key objectives, as (I) Development of innovative plasma-, bio-, nano-, and chemo-catalysts, (II) the design of advanced catalyst carriers with controlled active site distribution, (III) advanced characterization by ex- and in- situ/operando techniques for mechanistic understanding, (IV) lab-scale validation of the technology, including safety assessments, (VI) comprehensive environmental, techno-economic, and socio-economic evaluations.All in all, +C2Fue-LS represents a breakthrough technology in CO2 conversion into valuable alcohols as fuels and added value chemicals.