2024-04-03 15:15:39
CO2 is still viewed with suspicion, but a group of researchers have managed to make it clean and sustainable for the first time. All it takes is a curious chemical element. When we talk regarding carbon dioxide (CO2), we usually think of how dangerous it is, but there is another reality that we are regarding to glimpse. Carbon dioxide is a colorless gas soluble in water.
Its molecules are composed of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms linked by covalent double bonds. Despite the harmfulness attributed to it, it is a gas practically essential for the essential tasks of our lives. It is present in several organic compounds used daily, such as natural gas or petroleum.
Carbon dioxide is neither toxic nor harmful, but it does not contribute to proper breathing. High concentrations of CO2 in indoor air can create an unpleasant feeling because they displace oxygen from the air and make breathing more difficult. Too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is not good for planet Earth and the creatures that live on it.
Making CO2 clean and sustainable: many don’t believe it yet
An international team of researchers has taken an important step in converting carbon dioxide (CO2) into methanol using sunlight and individual copper atoms on a light-activated material.
This advance, made by academics from the University of Nottingham, the University of Birmingham, the University of Queensland and the University of Ulm, paves the way for the production of new green fuels, by exploiting the sustainable solar energy and CO2, which is a notorious contributor to global warming. By increasing its presence in the atmosphere, it contributes to climate change.
The search for sustainable methods to transform carbon dioxide into useful products is intensifying. Traditional systems rely on hydrogen from fossil fuels, making solar and water essential.
The study carried out by the aforementioned entities introduces the world to a revolutionary material that facilitates the conversion of carbon dioxide into methanol under the influence of solar radiation, marking a breakthrough in the use of renewable sources to combat climate change.
Making CO2 clean thanks to this curious element
This innovative material is composed of copper atoms anchored in nanocrystalline carbon nitride. It efficiently transfers electrons from carbon nitride to carbon dioxide, an elementary step in the production of methanol. The key point of the process is a new type of carbon nitride, heat treated to achieve the desired crystallinity.
Furthermore, during the process its photocatalytic properties are enhanced. Copper sputter deposition allows intimate contact between the semiconductor and the metal atoms, which is crucial for the effectiveness of the catalyst.
This is what the project in search of clean and sustainable CO2 showed
The result was to show that this new form of carbon nitride is much more active than the traditional form, even without copper. Adding cobra quadrupled its efficiency, changing the selectivity of producing methane, another greenhouse gas, to methanol. A discovery that highlights the relevance of precise selection and manipulation of materials at the nanoscale for CO2 transformation.
This progress represents a major step toward a deeper understanding of photocatalytic materials in carbon dioxide transformation. CO2 has thus become clean and sustainable for the first time. While we wait for this progress to materialize, here are some routine tips for reducing excess carbon dioxide.
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