Catalyst could help turn CO2 into fuel - energy - 15 March 2007 - New Scientist Tech

Link: Catalyst could help turn CO2 into fuel - energy - 15 March 2007 - New Scientist Tech.

A new catalyst that can split carbon dioxide gas could allow us to use carbon from the atmosphere as a fuel source in a similar way to plants.

"Breaking open the very stable bonds in CO2 is one of the biggest challenges in synthetic chemistry," says Frederic Goettmann, a chemist at the Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam, Germany. "But plants have been doing it for millions of years."

Plants use the energy of sunlight to cleave the relatively stable chemical bonds between the carbon and oxygen atoms in a carbon dioxide molecule. In photosynthesis, the CO2 molecule is initially bonded to nitrogen atoms, making reactive compounds called carbamates. These less stable compounds can then be broken down, allowing the carbon to be used in the synthesis of other plant products, such as sugars and proteins.

In an attempt to emulate this natural process, Goettmann and colleagues Arne Thomas and Markus Antonietti developed their own nitrogen-based catalyst that can produce carbamates. The graphite-like compound is made from flat layers of carbon and nitrogen atoms arranged in hexagons.

Benzene and high temps are used here, but they are trying to find a way to do it with light. We have a ways to go to mimic plants, but the effort has begun...

Comments

[Vito Enzo Salatino]

Splitting of CO2 by a catalyst is similar to thermal splitting of H2O by a different catalyst. Both
reactions require a lot of energy, if used as large scale fuel producers.
When CO is available by splitting CO2, it must be reacted with H2O to produce syngas and then separate H2 and/or hydrocarbons.
Then why do you not study a suitable catalyst to split directly water and produce Hydrogen ? Membranes for O2 and H2 separation are already available.

[Vito Enzo salatino]

Which are the results of your studies to convert CO2 into fuels ?

[Vito Enzo salatino]

Any news on this process to split CO2 ?