TOP grant for Jan Eijkel and Albert van den Berg

Jan Eijkel and Albert van den Berg received a TOP grant from NOW for the project “Energy from streaming potential using nanotechnology”. Their plan is to convert the energy of streaming water to electricity. It is based on the fact that if water fills a tube, there exists a very thin layer of electrical charge next to the tube wall. The idea is to take this charge along with the streaming water. To maximize the extracted energy, they will manufacture membranes with many parallel nanopores. They expect to generate both electrical energy and hydrogen gas.

TOP grants are 720,000 euro grants, directed at research groups that excel in (bio)chemistry or chemical technology and that have a proven track record. The grants offer these groups the opportunity and freedom to strengthen or extend excellent, challenging and innovative lines of research.