How can we cheaply and efficiently convert carbon dioxide into furniture, medicines and plastics?

Plants are experts at using the sun’s energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates for fuel. Scientists have been trying to mimic this process and use carbon dioxide to make clean fuels, medicines and other products to reduce global warming. Researchers have successfully used this technology to produce large quantities of fuels such as ethanol, methane and hydrogen. The problem is that the known processes are still very inefficient, energy-intensive and expensive to commercialize due to the high cost of catalysts that facilitate the reaction.

But now, researchers have found a new way to convert carbon dioxide into plastics, fibers and other useful products more efficiently than ever before.

It’s a method of artificial photosynthesis, published in the journal Energy & Environmental Science. A team from Rutgers University has developed a new class of catalysts that are cheap because they use abundant nickel and phosphorus as raw materials. The catalysts, which come in five different formulations, can convert carbon dioxide into components containing one, two, three or four carbon atoms with more than 99% efficiency. The process is very energy-efficient and does not require a lot of electricity.

These carbon-containing components can be used as building blocks for useful materials. The number of carbon atoms in the final product depends on the catalyst and reaction conditions. Longer carbon chains are generally considered more valuable because they can be used to make plastics. Two of the products of this reaction are precursors for plastics, adhesives and pharmaceutical chemicals. Scientists say one of them could be a safe alternative to formaldehyde.

The researchers have obtained a patent and established a startup company to commercialize the technology. They plan to adjust the chemical reaction to obtain other products such as hydrocarbons, and have begun to further promote the update of the technology to efficiently use carbon dioxide to produce more products useful to mankind.

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