With this funding, the European Research Council enables outstanding scientists to implement pioneering concepts over a 5-year period, thus strengthening the European research landscape.

The ERC received 2652 consolidation grant proposals, 313 laureates were awarded funding from Europe. In the PE5 panel for physical sciences and engineering, 12 grants were awarded in Europe, including just one for Belgium: Professor Guillaume Berionni's B-YOND project. ERC Consolidator Grants are designed to support excellent research programs that must demonstrate innovative character and multidisciplinary ambition.

Inspired by transition metal catalysis and main-group chemistry, the B-YOND project aims to reprogram molecular systems based on s- and p-block elements to override current chemical reactivity rules.

An important step in this project is the formulation of Lewis acids and bases with suitable reorganization energies to promote new catalytic processes. The development of revolutionary catalysts based on the most abundant elements of the main group will have a considerable impact on the transformation of chemical materials, as well as on bulk and fine chemical syntheses.

The research results will lay the foundations for the development of new energy and resource management strategies, particularly through the use of new catalytic approaches and sustainable materials, avoiding the use of valuable transition materials.

Thus, the B-YOND research project addresses important challenges in the quest for a more sustainable future, as Professor Berionni and his group will develop new reactive species and catalysts that will benefit a variety of chemical technologies.

The project is led by Professor Guillaume Berionni as well as several members of the RCO:

• Antoine Willems, PhD student
• Maxence Bonnevial, PhD student
• Kajetan Bijouard, post-doc, former member
• Julia Volk, post-doc, former member