INHYTECH

Project description

Metal nitrides are highly useful materials for multiple applications, in such different fields as catalysis, electronics or photonics. Their synthesis typically require very strict and energy-consuming conditions by means of very high temperatures and/or high vacuum set-ups with expensive volatile starting materials, which limits their scalability.

ICIQ has developed a new greener and proprietary synthetic methodology towards metal nitrides from abundant and stable reagents that requires lower temperatures and works near ambient pressure, yielding highly crystalline and chemically pure nitrides (no side products) of the desired composition. Multi-metallic nitrides, previously inaccessible with current state-of-the-art techniques, have therefore become available through this ICIQ proprietary methodology.

Whilst ICIQ’s proprietary metal-nitride formation technology provides materials that can be used as catalysts in several chemical applications, ICIQ’s patent application specifically protects an innovative multi-metallic nitride formulation with outstanding properties as catalyst for water electrolysis. Decarbonization of economy is one of the main challenges the society is facing nowadays and the European Commission has stablished 2050 as the economy decarbonization horizon deadline.

To fulfill this goal, there is still a need for an alternative to fossil fuels and therefore, hydrogen production technology must be further developed to become a reliable green source of energy. The commercialization of the ICIQ’s proprietary technology through the creation of a spin off will provide a reliable hydrogen production supply to the market, based on the environmentally friendly AEM technology. Moreover, this spin off will contribute to regional development through the creation of a new deep tech industry and highly qualified job positions, as well as contribute to reducing the dependency on external sources of energy.

Convocatòria 2024 dels ajuts d’Indústria del Coneixement. Modalitat C. Innovadors destinats a l’obtenció de prototipus i a la valorització i transferència de coneixement desenvolupats per persones innovadores en estades en entitats del sistema de recerca i innovació de Catalunya. Referència: 2024 INNOV 00052. Amb el suport del Departament de Recerca i Universitats de la Generalitat de Catalunya.