Smaller ions in high-salt liquids can improve the efficiency of converting carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals, researchers from UT and the University of Copenhagen found in a Jan. 10 study . study.
The process uses electrolytes, or electrically conductive salty liquids, to cause a reaction that converts carbon dioxide into useful chemicals and usable transportation fuels. This offers an alternative to carbon capture, a practice in which greenhouse gases are captured and stored deep underground for later reuse or disposal.
“It’s basically trying to mimic what plants do in natural photosynthesis,” said study leader Joaquin Resasco. “They somehow use carbon dioxide, water and sunlight as an energy source to make energy-dense molecules. We basically want to do the same thing: remove carbon dioxide from the air, then combine it with water using electricity from renewable sources to create something useful.
Similar to photosynthesis, the research team created artificial catalysts that work like enzymes to combine carbon dioxide with water and chemicals to undergo the reaction. Resasco, an assistant professor in the chemical engineering department, said the technology is still in its early stages, with researchers still determining ways to refine the process.
“Our methods are much less sophisticated and less effective than what nature has created over millions of years,” Resasco said. “Part of the research is trying to accelerate the improvement in the efficiency of these catalysts, but part of it is also just understanding some fundamental questions about how they work that could guide us in making better materials.”
Besides catalysts, research has also studied the effects of the microenvironment in which the chemical reaction occurs. The team’s results showed that changing specific ions in the electrolyte salt can strengthen the electric field and speed up the carbon dioxide transformation process.
These advances and research could help reduce greenhouse gases and carbon capture, which has become a major problem. socially “divided” practice among scientists and environmentalists due to its questionable effectiveness in combating climate change. While some members of the research team are investigating the practicality and economic viability of the technology, Resasco said it’s still early days for this type of technology with many possibilities.
“We’re kind of at an early stage where there are a lot of potential technologies that could be impactful,” Resasco said. “Probably the best thing we can do is advance each of these technologies, and then we’ll see what their applications and impact are in the future.”