A new ERC Synergy Grant to explore the emerging field of magneto-electrocatalysis

06.11.2025

erc eu funded

The project MAGNESIS will join the efforts of professors Galán Mascarós (ICIQ), Karsten Reuter (Fritz Haber), Jeppe Lauritsen (Aarhus University) and David Écija (IMDEA Nanociencia).
With a budget of €12 million, the project aims to understand the synergy between magnetic fields and electrocatalytic performance.

Madrid, 6^th,November, 2025. In recent years, electrochemistry and electrocatalysis have become central to the transition toward sustainable industrial processes, offering the potential to replace fossil-fuel-based methods with cleaner, electricity-driven alternatives. However, these technologies still face significant performance challenges. The recent discovery that magnetic fields can enhance electrocatalytic reactions has opened a new research frontier.

The project entitled ‘Magnetically enhanced electrocatalysis’ - MAGNESIS, awarded with an ERC Synergy grant, will join the efforts of Prof. Galán-Mascarós (Institut Català d'Investigació Química, ICIQ, Spain), Prof. Karsten Reuter (Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, Germany), Prof. Jeppe V. Lauritsen (Aarhus University, Denmark) and Prof. David Écija (Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Nanoscience, IMDEA Nanociencia, Spain). With a total budget of €12 million and a duration of six years, the project aims to understand the fundamental principles behind the synergy between magnetic fields and electrocatalytic performance, from atomic-scale model systems to full-cell devices.

“This project gives us an opportunity to define the first theoretical and experimental framework for controlling electrochemical reactions with magnetic fields, a breakthrough that could transform the way sustainable fuels and chemicals are produced in the future” says Prof. Galán-Mascarós, ICREA Research Professor and Senior Group Leader at ICIQ, coordinator of the project.

MAGNESIS aims to provide a scientific foundation for this promising approach by combining expertise in catalysis, surface science, magnetism, and theory. The project will focus on two key reactions: water oxidation and carbon dioxide reduction, both of may be sensitive to spin effects. Through the use of advanced experimental and computational tools, the team will identify the structural, electronic, and magnetic descriptors that govern these processes, thereby establishing the fundamental principles of magneto-electrochemical science and technology.

“The power of surface science will allow us to probe the mechanisms of magnetoelectrocatalysis at the ultimate spatial scale,” states Prof. David Écija from IMDEA Nanociencia.

The overarching goal of the project is to validate this new phenomenon through the development of more efficient electrochemical devices that can have an impact in the energy transition, through the production of renewable fuels and chemicals.

magnesis consortium “We aim to uncover how magnetic fields shape the chemical reactions that drive clean energy, by extending our computer models to include magnetism, we hope to unlock new ways to make electrocatalysis more efficient, enabling renewable-energy-driven chemical production, advancing materials research, and controlling reactions at the molecular level,” declares Prof. Karsten Reuter from Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society.

ERC Synergy Grants are built on the principle of collaboration, supporting ambitious initiatives that can only be achieved through the combined efforts of several leading research teams to push the boundaries of scientific discovery.

“The ERC synergy is a perfect match for the topic since it requires collaboration among many types of expertise, and it will be very exciting to be working with world-leading expects in surface science, computational modeling, magnetism and electrocatalysis" concludes Prof. Jeppe V. Lauritsen from Aarhus University.

The second ERC Synergy Grant to IMDEA Nanociencia

ERC Synergy Grants are among the most prestigious funding schemes of the European Research Council (ERC), designed to support researchers who join forces to tackle ambitious scientific challenges that could not be addressed by a single principal investigator working alone. By fostering close collaboration across disciplines and institutions, Synergy Grants enable teams to combine complementary expertise and innovative approaches. This collaborative model encourages the exchange of ideas, accelerates scientific discovery, and drives transformative advances that push the boundaries of knowledge and innovation in Europe and beyond.

The European Research Council awards these grants following an extremely competitive process at a European level. The proposals submitted are evaluated solely on the criteria of scientific excellence, the ability to break down knowledge barriers and the synergistic effect that the Grant can provide to the consortium. Receiving an ERC Synergy Grant is therefore a highly significant recognition of research excellence and innovation capacity.

The ERC Synergy MAGNESIS project has been awarded approximately €12 million over six years, with more than €3,4 million allocated to IMDEA Nanociencia (Madrid).

MAGNESIS will become the second ongoing Synergy Grant at IMDEA Nanociencia, which currently coordinates ERC-Synergy TOMATTO " The ultimate Time scale in Organic Molecular opto-electronics, the ATTOsecond", awarded to professors Fernando Martín (IMDEA Nanociencia/UAM), Mauro Nisoli (Politecnico di Milano) and Nazario Martín (UCM).

IMDEA Nanociencia and the Madrid excellent i+D ecosystem

IMDEA Nanociencia Institute is a young interdisciplinary research Centre in Madrid (Spain) dedicated to the exploration of nanoscience and the development of applications of nanotechnology in connection with innovative industries. The Institute’s mission is to generate scientific knowledge of excellence and translate it into transformative technologies that address real-world challenges.

Few regions in Europe offer a research and innovation ecosystem as dynamic and fertile as that of the Comunidad de Madrid region, home to a vibrant network of universities, hospitals, IMDEA Institutes, and leading research centres. Thanks to the sustained commitment of the regional government, Madrid has become one of Europe’s most advanced hubs for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, key disciplines for sustainable economic growth and technological progress. IMDEA Nanociencia stands at the forefront of this ecosystem, hosting more than 200 researchers — physicists, chemists, biologists, physicians, and engineers. This multidisciplinary team works to tackle strategic scientific and societal challenges by deepening our understanding of phenomena at the nanoscale.

More information:

https://erc.europa.eu/news-events/news/erc-2025-synergy-grants-results

Contact:

Prof. David Écija
Nanoarchitectonics on Surfaces Group
https://nanociencia.imdea.org/nanoarchitectonics-on-surfaces/group-homeThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

IMDEA Nanociencia Dissemination and Communication Office
divulgacion.nanociencia [at]imdea.org

Source: IMDEA Nanociencia.