BrainMap

Mrs. Gabriela Blanita

PhD

Senior researcher II - INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M

Other affiliations

PhD student - UNIVERSITATEA BABES BOLYAI (Romania)

Researcher | Teaching staff | Scientific reviewer

Web of Science ResearcherID: not public

Curriculum Vitae (24/06/2021)

Expertise & keywords

Hybrid Solvent – Membrane for post-combustion CO2 capture and utilization Call name: EEA Grants - Proiecte Colaborative de Cercetare
RO-NO-2019-0379 2020 - 2023

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI (RO); UNIVERSITATEA BABES BOLYAI (RO); SINTEF AS (NO); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M (RO); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE PENTRU GEOLOGIE SI GEOECOLOGIE MARINA - GEOECOMAR (RO)

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M (RO)

Project website: http://co2hybrid.upb.ro/

Abstract:

CO2-HyBrid focuses on the validation of CCS technologies in large CO2 emitting industries. This will allow a 20% more efficient CO2 capture process compared to state-of-the-art capture technologies. The main objective of CO2-HyBrid is the validation of a hybrid solution based on a pre-concentration step using membrane processes and a capture stage by chemical absorption. Two types of membrane and two solvents will be used to produce 2 hybrid configurations to be tested in two pilot plants with different characteristics of industrial flue gases (coal / natural gas plant and waste-based pilot plants). The CO2-HyBrid project aims to raise the level of membrane technologies and the hybrid solution to TRL 6. Through this synergy, the benefits of both technologies will be exploited and will result in CO2 elimination costs of 15-25 EUR / ton for many industrial processes. It is also intended to demonstrate the reliability and flexibility of the solution in order to obtain a high purity of carbon dioxide to be used in various industries but also stored in saline aquifers.

Formic acid/carbon dioxide, a couple for renewable catalytic hydrogen storage Call name: Projects for Young Research Teams - RUTE -2014 call
PN-II-RU-TE-2014-4-1326 2015 - 2017

Role in this project: Project coordinator

Coordinating institution: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M

Project partners: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M (RO)

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M (RO)

Project website: http://www.itim-cj.ro/PNCDI/ru143/Home.htm

Abstract:

The growing need for energy requires development of new energy sources/carriers and more efficient utilization of energy. Hydrogen is the ideal energy carrier due to its natural abundance and non-polluting nature.

The development of hydrogen storage technologies for mobile applications still requires overcoming some technical barriers.

Different hydrogen storage paths have been envisaged: from the classical storage technologies, namely pressurization and cryogenic liquefaction, to the solid phase storage in metal hydrides, or physisorbed on a solid surface (metal-organic frameworks, covalent organic frameworks) and the organic liquid hydrogen carrier (LC) under ambient conditions.

Chemical hydrogen storage can became competitive if the storage material fulfils some requierements: high gravimetric and volumetric hydrogen content under ambient conditions, energy-efficient reversible charge and discharge, the absence of byproducts, long-term stability, low toxicity, easily available at a large scale and at a low price. The challenge is to find suitable organic carriers.

Formic acid is a promising candidate for reversible hydrogen storage. The aim of this project is to study formic acid decomposition/formation using a new type of catalysts: metallic nanoparticles confined in metal-organic frameworks, to exploit the nanoparticles confinement and the nanoscale properties for reactions of formic acid dehydrogenation and carbon dioxide reduction under mild conditions.

Universal Multiscale Simulations for Hydrogen Storage in Novel Materials Call name: Projects for Young Research Teams - RUTE -2014 call
PN-II-RU-TE-2014-4-1309 2015 - 2017

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M

Project partners: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M (RO)

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M (RO)

Project website: http://www.itim-cj.ro/PNCDI/ru194/index.html

Abstract:

The realization of efficient hydrogen storage in materials will have a tremendous impact on the fields of renewable energy and clean transportation. The most promising high uptake materials are based on the physisorbtion of the hydrogen which offers fast, reversible, energetically cheap storage. However, materials synthesized so far have poor ambient conditions performance due to the weak forces binding the molecular hydrogen. We will develop a universal multiscale simulation tool to aid the design of better hydrogen storage materials that will improve upon the state of the art simulations as follows. i) The polarization effects in electric fields will be included both at microscopic and macroscopic scales. ii) The weak interactions involved in the physisorbtion will be correctly treated at the ab initio level, thus revealing the most favorable microscopic features of the materials for hydrogen storage and ensuring the transferability of the code. iii) The simulation will be precise and transferable allowing in silico screening on a large class or materials, thus greatly reducing the experimental overhead. We aim to open the new research direction of electrically controlled hydrogen storage. We will design and then synthesize in the lab polarizable nanoporous materials with electrically tunable hydrogen storage properties based on covalent organic frameworks. We will assess the potential of these materials for industrial applications.

Issues and challenges for hydrogen storage in composites with metal-organic frameworks Call name: Exploratory Research Projects - PCE-2011 call
PN-II-ID-PCE-2011-3-0350 2011 - 2016

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Tehnologii Izotopice si Moleculare

Project partners: Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Tehnologii Izotopice si Moleculare (RO)

Affiliation: Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Tehnologii Izotopice si Moleculare (RO)

Project website: http://www.itim-cj.ro/PNCDI/idei350/Home.htm

Abstract:

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), a new class of crystalline materials exhibiting extremely high porosity, attracted attention as hydrogen-storage materials, similar to the best activated carbons at 77K. However, for applications in transportation a high H2 sorption capacity at ambient temperatures with low adsorption/desorption enthalpy are required. The promising results for room temperature H2 adsorption on MOFs composites with Pt/activated carbon recently reported were assigned to ‘‘spillover” effect but the controversy raised due to contradictory literature results is still open and needs to be solved due to its possible high impact on hydrogen storage.

The goal of the project is to assess the enhanced hydrogen adsorption reported in literature and to find new materials and methods to improve the H2 storage in solid state materials. New approaches for building the intimate contact at the interface of MOF with metal/support catalyst will improve the knowledge of the routes and methods with positive effects on hydrogen adsorption by MOFs based composites. Systematic studies will be performed on MOF/catalyst composites, employing alternative and complementary methods, with emphasis on: controlled ball-milling procedure, influence of the catalytic metal (Pt, Pd, Ni) or support, direct synthesis of different MOFs on catalyst, validation of hydrogen uptake measurements, identification of the major factors implied in the hydrogen transfer at the MOF/catalyst interface.

NaH3 nanoconfinement in porous structures for hydrogen storage Call name: Postdoctoral Research Projects - PD-2012 call
PN-II-RU-PD-2012-3-0377 2013 - 2015

Role in this project: Project coordinator

Coordinating institution: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M

Project partners: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M (RO)

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M (RO)

Project website: http://www.itim-cj.ro/PNCDI/ru24/Home.htm

Abstract:

Hydrogen is the ideal energy carrier in a future carbon-free energy system due to its natural abundance and non-polluting nature.The main concern of hydrogen use as a fuel is efficient storage. Hydrides are one of the main options of hydrogen storage in solid-state. Among them, aluminum hydride is very promising because has 148 g/L volumetric hydrogen density, more than double that of liquid hydrogen, and 10.1% gravimetric hydrogen capacity.Its decomposition occurs in a single step reaction, in the 60-150°C range, depending on form and structure, with a large dissociation pressure. Alane’s decomposition reaction, favorable thermodynamically (ΔH=7 kJ/mol H2), is limited by kinetics. Unfortunately, this reaction is not easily reversed: extremely high H2 pressures (8.9 GPa and 600°C) are needed for re-hydrogenation of Al powder to AlH3. The vault key of alane utilization as hydrogen storage materials is development of a regeneration process, ideally in on-board approach, avoiding the high hydriding pressure of Al and formation of stable by-products. Nanotechnology could bring the solution. The project goal is to exploit the pore confinement and nanoscale properties for reversibility of dehydriding/hydriding reaction of alane.

Metal doped metal-organic-frameworks for energy storage Call name: Joint Research Projects Romania-France - IDROFR-2015 Call (bilaterale)
PN-II-ID-JRP-RO-FR-2015-0025 2015 -

Role in this project: Partner team leader

Coordinating institution: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M

Project partners: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M (RO); Institut de Chimie et des Matériaux Paris-Est (FR)

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE I N C D T I M (RO)

Project website:

Abstract:

The MEMOS project aims to extend the research frontiers towards novel multicomponent hybrids formed by bimetallic nanoparticles embedded into porous solids of Metal-Organic-Frameworks for solid-state hydrogen storage. Due to their high surface area, porous Metal-Organic-Frameworks (MOFs) show promise in the hydrogen storage field mainly at cryogenic temperature [1]. Metal nanoparticles (MNPs) also have interesting properties for hydrogen storage due to their small particles size [2]. Nevertheless, their combination at nanoscale level is a very recent and pioneering research that will allow the discovery of innovative materials in a field that stringently requires technological and material breakthroughs. To our knowledge, the mainstream of reports on such hybrids deals with catalysis [3].

For hydrogen storage, these hybrids have the advantage of combining hydrogen absorption into MNPs and adsorption on the surface of MOFs. However, for practical hydrogen storage applications at room temperature, the enthalpy of hydrogen adsorption on porous materials must be increased. The exciting benefit of hybrid materials is the possibility of tailoring hydrogen adsorption enthalpy by synergistic effects. Indeed, two independent publications have recently reported an increase of the enthalpy of adsorption for two different hybrids based on monometallic nanoparticles [4,5].

The main originality of the project is the synthesis of multicomponent hybrids based on bimetallic nanoparticles encapsulated into MOFs for increasing the energetic of hydrogen adsorption.

A considerable synthetic effort will be committed to prepare the mutlicomponent hybrids and to control the textural properties of the porous hosts together with the chemical composition and particles size distribution of bimetallic nanoparticles. Thorough characterization of these hybrids will be performed to determine their fundamental and hydrogen sorption properties. The effect of hybrids compaction on the hydrogen storage properties will also addressed. In-depth characterisations of the most promising hybrids will be performed by the help of large scale facilities.

The proposed 36 months collaboration will gather, for the first time, one French CNRS laboratory Institut de Chimie et des Matériaux Paris-Est (ICMPE) and one Romanian laboratory National Institute for Research and development of isotopic and molecular technologies (INCDTIM) around one common objective: the synthesis and characterisation of new hybrids with improved hydrogen storage capacity at room temperature via increased enthalpy of H2 adsorption. Our approach is purely academic and the success of this international project needs financial support for recruiting PhD and Master students, upgrading and maintaining the equipments, ensuring staff mobility between the two laboratories along with other operating costs. This new consortium will bring complementary competences for the success of this project that will open new directions towards the design of multifunctional nanomaterials since these materials may witness a wide range of potentialities from catalysis to optoelectronics. We strongly believe that in the near future, these hybrids will respond to the industrial needs for innovating nanomaterials.

FILE DESCRIPTION	DOCUMENT
List of research grants as project coordinator	Download (83.74 kb) 11/05/2016
List of research grants as partner team leader
List of research grants as project coordinator or partner team leader
Significant R&D projects for enterprises, as project manager
R&D activities in enterprises
Peer-review activity for international programs/projects