“The eReactor NMR probe has the potential to significantly broaden the application scope of NMR spectroscopy to various environmentally relevant electrochemical devices. This will help advance research and development in green energy storage and conversion. The Impact Explorer Grant is an exciting opportunity for us to explore the possibility of turning one of our research outputs into a real-world product,” says Evan Zhao.
Green energy storage
The green energy transition heavily depends on new solutions for energy storage and conversion. Therefore, fundamental research into battery materials and conversion chemistry is required for the coming decades. A powerful tool to study this is nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Up until now, it has only been possible to perform measurements in either liquids or solids without any spatial selectivity. The eReactor NMR probe, co-invented by Hans Janssen, Ruipeng Luo, Arno Kentgens and Evan Zhao of Radboud University, makes it possible to selectively monitor the solid electrode, electrolyte solution, or the electrolyte-electrode interface during the electrochemical reaction.1,2
In this project, a multidisciplinary team will explore options to spin out or license this technology, contributing to the energy storage solutions of the future. "We will explore the direction of either forming a spin-off company or partnering with existing firms to bring this innovative technology to market, advancing research and development in green energy storage and conversion”, Evan Zhao says. "We will collaborate closely with Isabel Rijk, Knowledge Transfer Manager, and Ton Korts from Mercator Launch. Their expertise and contributions will be essential in establishing a new company or forming strategic partnerships to bring the eReactor NMR probe to market."
About the NWO Impact Explorer
The NWO Impact Explorer aims to uncover opportunities for societal impact that arise unexpectedly from curiosity-driven research. These are ideas and opportunities that were not anticipated in the original project plan but have emerged during the course of the project. The grant supports activities to validate the potential societal impact of discoveries from curiosity-driven research under the Talent Line and Open Competitions of both Dutch Research Council and Care Research Netherlands Medical Sciences (ZonMw,) and to explore pathways to realize this impact.