Scientists discover a way to convert CO2 to ethanol
Posted on: 02/Nov/2016 9:44:20 AM
Scientists at the US Department of Energies Oak Ridge National Laboratory have now discovered a process to turn carbon dioxide, or CO2, a greenhouse gas, into ethanol, a renewable fuel. The study was published in the journal Chemistry Select.
Speaking about this, the researchers said, We discovered somewhat by accident that this material worked. We were trying to study the first step of a proposed reaction when we realised that the catalyst was doing the entire reaction on its own. We`re taking carbon dioxide, a waste product of combustion, and we`re pushing that combustion reaction backwards with very high selectivity to a useful fuel. Ethanol was a surprise - it`s extremely difficult to go straight from carbon dioxide to ethanol with a single catalyst. A process like this would allow you to consume extra electricity when it`s available to make and store as ethanol. This could help to balance a grid supplied by intermittent renewable sources.
