Artificial Photosynthesis to Convert CO2 into Plastic
Credit: Karin Calvinho/Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Rutgers scientists have developed catalysts that can convert carbon dioxide – the main cause of global warming – into plastics, fabrics, resins and other products.
The electrocatalysts are the first materials, aside from enzymes, that can turn carbon dioxide and water into carbon building blocks containing one, two, three or four carbon atoms with more than 99 percent efficiency. Two of the products created by the researchers – methylglyoxal (C3) and 2,3-furandiol (C4) – can be used as precursors for plastics, adhesives and pharmaceuticals. Toxic formaldehyde could be replaced by methylglyoxal, which is safer.This image shows how carbon dioxide can be electrochemically converted into valuable polymer and drug precursors.
The discovery, based on the chemistry of artificial photosynthesis, is detailed in the journal Energy & Environmental Science.“Our breakthrough could lead to the conversion of carbon dioxide into valuable products and raw materials in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries,” said study senior author Charles Dismukes, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. He is also a principal investigator at Rutgers’ Waksman Institute of Microbiology.
Previously, scientists showed that carbon dioxide can be electrochemically converted into methanol, ethanol, methane and ethylene with relatively high yields. But such production is inefficient and too costly to be commercially feasible, according to study lead author Karin Calvinho, a chemistry doctoral student in Rutgers’ School of Graduate Studies.
However, carbon dioxide and water can be electrochemically converted into a wide array of carbon-based products, using five catalysts made of nickel and phosphorus, which are cheap and abundant, she said. The choice of catalyst and other conditions determine how many carbon atoms can be stitched together to make molecules or even generate longer polymers. In general, the longer the carbon chain, the more valuable the product.
Based on their research, the Rutgers scientists earned patents for the electrocatalysts and formed RenewCO2, a start-up company. The next step is to learn more about the underlying chemical reaction, so it can be used to produce other valuable products such as diols, which are widely used in the polymer industry, or hydrocarbons that can be used as renewable fuels. The Rutgers experts are designing, building and testing electrolyzers for commercial use.
Citation: Selective CO2 reduction to C3 and C4oxyhydrocarbons on nickel phosphides at overpotentials as low as 10 mV http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C8EE00936H
Source: http://www.ineffableisland.com/2018/11/artificial-photosynthesis-to-convert.html
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Joseph A Olson
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xCO2 + 0.5yH2O + sunlight = CxHy + (x + 0.25y) O
There is a direct, linear relationship between current 400 PPM of atmospheric CO2 and photosynthesis up to 1600 PPM. Natural photosynthesis produces sugars, starches, proteins and cellulose. Without CO2 warming hysteria, there is no need for artificial photosynthesis, just another taxpayer funded grift gift.
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Joe Gilio
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From a 95% confidence level, man caused CO2 warming is an abysmal failure. The UN funded global warming research has many flaws- CO2 induced models greatly exceed actual temperatures [need for model change], error bars in ocean temperature increase so high as to make accurate ocean sink meaningless, H2O >> CO2 in troposphere, both heat trap almost equally, sun is major heat source [variable or constant ?], negative feedbacks of CO2 increase by photosynthesis [land and ocean],oceanic phytoplanktonic CaCO3 incorporation, etc. Also, if solar input increases – not man-caused- then methane releases from clathrates in ocean and Arctic bogs convert to CO2 is alternative. Bottom line, we measure CO2 increase from 200 to 400 ppm, highly likely from man, but to jump to 95% level confidence that man is responsible for global warming [highly probable] forgets the past ice age maximum of 20,000 yrs. ago that has resulted in current global melting/warming. Be careful of trying to modify nature. .
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Squidly
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Squidly
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I was so flustered by that quote, I forgot to include my rebuttal .. but I really shouldn’t have to
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Boris Badenov
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Swell, now something else for someone to complain about as it gets into the ocean.
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