Scientists Discover Method That Can Turn Pollution Into Fuel, Prevent Global Climate Change

A process for converting carbon dioxide into ethanol has been accidentally discovered by a group of researchers recently, which can in the future avert global climate change. The scientists from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory stumbled upon the reaction during an experiment. Incidentally, carbon dioxide is considered a pollutant when emitted by power plants, planes, cars and the burning of natural gas and gasoline, and ethanol is used a fuel.

"We discovered somewhat by accident that this material worked. We were trying to study the first step of a proposed reaction when we realized that the catalyst was doing the entire reaction on its own," said Dr Adam Rondinone, lead author of the study. "You can use ethanol in the current vehicle fleet, right now, with no modifications."

As per reports, though the process was accidentally discovered by the researching team, if it is scaled up to an industrial size then it could help in reducing global warming effects or climate change. The process itself, a byproduct of another experiment, is an electrochemical technique that uses tiny copper and carbon spikes to turn the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into ethanol.

The researchers had created a catalyst, a substance that increases the chemical reaction rate, made of nitrogen, copper and carbon. The catalyst caused a complex chemical reaction when voltage was applied to it, leading to a reversal of the combustion process. In plainer terms, the catalyst turned a solution of carbon dioxide dissolved in water into ethanol, with a 63 per cent yield. Such a reaction usually results in a mix of numerous different products in small amounts, without the catalyst. According to Dr Rondinone, it is really arduous to go straight from carbon dioxide to ethanol with only one catalyst, and the result was therefore a surprise.  

Additionally, the new catalyst is unique due to its nanoscale structure that comprises of copper particles embedded in carbon spikes, which makes the technique a realistic goal as it avoids the use of rare or expensive metals. The combination of low cost metals and the advantage of using the catalyst at room temperature in water indicate the process can be scaled up for industrial applications one day, which can have a bearing on climate change.

"A process like this would allow you to consume extra electricity when it is available to make and store as ethanol which could help to balance a grid supplied by intermittent renewable sources," added Dr Rondinone. The scientist is planning a further study of the catalyst's behavior and properties to understand how the overall production rate can be improved.