A group of scientists at the Texan Rice University developed an electrocatalysis reactor that will turn CO2 into pure liquid fuel solutions. Because of this catalytic reactor, a common greenhouse gas can be repurposed in an efficient and environmentally way - using renewable electricity. Will this technology eliminate greenhouse gases as a significant contributor to climate change?
The catalytic reactor developed by the Rice University lab of chemical and biomolecular engineer Haotian Wang uses carbon dioxide as its feedstock and - in its latest prototype - produces highly purified and high concentrations of formic acid, as was published in the monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal Nature Energy.
Grab And Recycle
Formic acid is an energy carrier that is found in natural sources, like ant stings, but it is also fundamental in the chemical engineering industry. The fuel-cell fuel can hold ‘nearly 1,000 times the energy of the same volume of hydrogen gas, which is difficult to compress,’ according to the publishing in Nature Energy. This way, electrical energy can be stored in formic acid as a liquid fuel. It can generate electricity and emit carbon dioxide which you can grab and recycle again.
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On A Kilogram Scale
With the development of the robust, two-dimensional bismuth catalyst (the heavy atom bismuth is similar to metals like copper) stabilizes the catalyst. Another enhancement is the “polymer-based solid electrolyte is coated with sulfonic acid ligands to conduct positive charge or amino functional groups to conduct negative ions”, as lead author and Rice postdoctoral researcher Chuan Xia said about the reactor to Science Daily. Also, with the new technology, nanomaterials can be produced on a kilogram scale instead of milligram or gram scales.
Profitable Energy Source
Greenhouse gases are a danger for a healthy environment, as they are a huge contributor to climate change. With this invention, greenhouse gases can be used as a valuable energy source. Will this be the way to keep greenhouse gas out of the atmosphere and to turn carbon dioxide into something meaningful?
Before you go!
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