Sunlight turns CO2 and methane into valuable gases for fuel and industry
Paul Craig Roberts

Taking a leaf out of the book of plants, scientists have used a photosynthesis blueprint to harness the power of sunlight and turn two of the most destructive greenhouse gases into useful, prized chemicals that can be then used for the production of fuels and play a vital role in manufacturing. 

Researchers from McGill University have developed a novel process known as photo-driven oxygen-atom-grafting, which uses gold, palladium and gallium nitride as a catalyst to chemically transform carbon dioxide and methane into carbon monoxide and green methanol when exposed to sunlight. 

“Imagine a world where the exhaust from your car or emissions from a factory could be transformed, with the help of sunlight, into clean fuel for vehicles, the building blocks for everyday plastics, and energy stored in batteries,” said co-first author Hui Su, from McGill’s Department of Chemistry. “That’s precisely the kind of transformation this new chemical process enables.”

While the processes are covered thoroughly in the paper, essentially the method kicks off a chain reaction that sees an oxygen atom detach from the carbon dioxide and hop onto a methane molecule, converting it to green methanol. While it still has its downsides – such as high flammability and practicality, requiring larger fuel-tank sizes – this type of renewable methanol produces between 60-95% less CO2 emissions than conventional fuels. It's also scalable, adaptable to carbon-capture methods of production, and doesn't rely on fossil fuels. 

Carbon monoxide (CO) is also produced as a byproduct, and while being known as the silent killer because of its poisonous and odorless properties, it's also the focus of medical researchand how it could help with inflammation and in treating acute lung injury, sepsis and organ transplants.

“By tapping into the abundant energy of the sun, we can essentially recycle two greenhouse gases into useful products," said lead author Chao-Jun Li, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and a Canada Research Chair in Green/Organic Chemistry. "The process works at room temperature and doesn’t require the high heat or harsh chemicals used in other chemical reactions,” 

In the way that plants convert CO2 and H2O into energy and oxygen, with the aid of sunlight, this novel method in a way does similar, with abundant and readily available resources. The products that catalyze the CO2 and methane aren't cheap, however, they're robust for ongoing photo-driven oxygen-atom-grafting that drives this chemical reaction. 

“This innovation offers a promising path towards Canada’s target of net-zero emissions by 2050 and turns an environmental challenge into an opportunity for a more sustainable future,” said co-first author Jing-Tan Han, a PhD student in the Department of Chemistry.

The study was published in the journal Nature Communications.

Source: McGill University

  

Bronwyn has always loved words and animals, and she has the journalism and zoology degrees to prove it. After more than 20 years as a writer and editor, the former music journalist went back to university to build on her passion for wildlife and conservation with a Bachelor of Zoology, which unlocked two new loves: sharing animal facts at any opportunity and getting others excited about science. Particularly interested in neuroscience, genetics, animal behavior and evolutionary biology, Bronwyn has found a happy home at New Atlas, coming on board in February 2023.

 

 

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