Researchers have learned how to convert carbon dioxide in the air into many beneficial substances, including alcohol
Researchers have learned how to convert the carbon dioxide in the air into many beneficial substances, including alcohol. The discovery develops a method for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide and, among other things, may be important in the fight against this greenhouse gas. The defense of a dissertation based on this discovery will take place on September 14 at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.
To reduce the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air, two main approaches are taken: storage and conversion. In particular, CO2 can be converted to carbon monoxide, methane, ethylene, formic acid, methanol, and ethanol. Carbon monoxide can be used in the Fischer-Tropsch process to create fuel; more energy-intensive hydrocarbons, such as alcohols, can be directly used as fuel.
In his Ph.D. thesis, Min Ma describes the processes taking place at the nanoscale with various metal catalysts when used in the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide. In particular, the use of copper nanowires leads to the formation of hydrocarbons, and nanoporous silver increases the yield of carbon monoxide. Ma also discovered that by varying the length of the nanowires and the electrical potential, the entire process could be very precisely controlled. He managed to obtain many carbon compounds in any predetermined proportion.
Alloys can also lead to new products: platinum stimulates the production of hydrogen, gold – carbon monoxide, and their fusion leads to the appearance of significant amounts of formic acid. The laboratory plans to develop methods for a more selective synthesis of individual compounds and methods for scaling the process to an industrial scal
e. Source: indicator.ru