SOlid frustrated-Lewis-pair single-atom catalysts for efficient photoCATalytic amidation processes

2026-07-22

As the shadow of climate change deepens and calls for sustainability grow louder, the fine chemical industry faces a dilemma. On the one side, traditional processes optimised over decades, increasingly fall foul of environmental regulations. This is particularly true for amidations, one of the most commonly performed industrial processes: current power-hungry protocols largely rely on wasteful stoichiometric agents. On the other side, promising catalytic innovations like Single-Atom Catalysts (SACs) and Frustrated Lewis Pairs (FLPs) fail to make the leap to industry, due to fundamental limitations and lack of scalability studies. SOLCAT will address these challenges by designing Single Atom-FLPs (SA-FLPs), a novel family of hybrid catalysts. Herein, FLPs will be embedded into the very surface of a solid support, ensuring stability and accessibility. Adjacent to them, photoactive SACs will be anchored, fostering a synergistic interaction between the two catalytic sites. Guided by computational models and cutting-edge characterisation, the structure-function relationship of the new catalysts will be elucidated, and continually refined. Armed with these insights, the exceptional activity of the SA-FLPs will be unleashed towards photocatalytic amidations. The process will then be adapted to operate under flow, bridging the divide between academia and industry. To achieve these objectives, this action will consolidate an interdisciplinary team of experts both in industry and academia. As a result, a new class of bifunctional catalysts will be established and optimised towards one of the most ubiquitous and polluting industrial processes. Importantly, it will impart a diverse set of skills in research, leadership and project management alongside an extensive network of collaborators to an Experienced Researcher thus propelling him towards scientific independence.

Italy

2026-03-01