Once we can capture CO2 emissions, here’s what we could…

Once we can capture CO2 emissions, here’s what we could do with it

The thousands of metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emitted from power plants each year doesn’t have to go into the atmosphere. Researchers are optimistic that within the next decade we will be able to affordably capture CO₂ waste and convert it into useful molecules for feedstock, biofuels, pharmaceuticals, or renewable fuels. On March 29 in the journal Joule, a team of Canadian and US scientists describe their vision for what we should make with CO₂ and how we can make it.

“Similar to how a plant takes carbon dioxide, sunlight, and water to make sugars for itself, we are interested in using technology to take energy from the sun or other renewable sources to convert CO₂ into small building block molecules which can then be upgraded using traditional means of chemistry for commercial use,” says Phil De Luna, a PhD candidate in materials science. “We’re taking inspiration from nature and doing it faster and more efficiently.”

De Luna is first author on the paper along with postdoctoral fellow Oleksandr Bushuyev, both of whom are members of the Edward Sargent Lab at the University of Toronto. Sargent, the senior author, is a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Read more.

Archive link