A touch of sugar could help upcycle carbon dioxide into fuels

In a Northwestern University study, a catalyst made from table sugar converted CO₂ into carbon monoxide (CO), an important building block that could be used to produce a variety of useful chemicals. When the reaction occurs in the presence of hydrogen, for example, CO₂ and hydrogen transform into synthesis gas (or syngas), a highly valuable precursor to producing fuels that can potentially replace petrol.

With recent advances in carbon capture technologies, post-combustion carbon capture is becoming a plausible option to help tackle the global climate change crisis. But how to handle the captured carbon remains an open-ended question. The new catalyst potentially could provide one solution for disposing the potent greenhouse gas by converting it into a more valuable product.

The study was published in the 3 May issue of the journal Science.

“Even if we stopped emitting CO₂ now, our atmosphere would still have a surplus of CO₂ as a result of industrial activities from the past centuries,” said Northwestern’s Milad Khoshooei, who co-led the study. “There is no single solution to this problem. We need to reduce CO₂ emissions and find new ways to decrease the CO₂ concentration that is already in the atmosphere. We should take advantage of all possible solutions.”

“We’re not the first research group to convert CO₂ into another product,” said Northwestern’s Omar K Farha, the study’s senior author. “However, for the process to be truly practical, it necessitates a catalyst that fulfils several crucial criteria: affordability, stability, ease of production and scalability. Balancing these four elements is key. Fortunately, our material excels in meeting these requirements.”

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