CO2 and plastic waste are two enemies that we have declared war on. Researchers may have discovered a weapon that will help us win.
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[EN VIDÉO] Green chemistry: CO2, a new raw material? Ecological (and economic) considerations dictate that the chemical industry is thinking about it more and more seriously…
Be inspired by natural photosynthesis to produce sustainable, carbon-free fuels. This is the dream of many researchers. A team from the University of Cambridge (UK) has been working on this for several years. They were able to develop artificial leaves that convert carbon dioxide (CO2) and water into fuel. Thanks to the only energy that comes from the sun.
So far, however, only artificial leaves that have been operated with pure, concentrated CO2 have been used in their experiments. Conditions disproportionate to natural conditions. Because CO2 is just one of many molecules that occur in our atmosphere. Therefore, to increase selectivity, researchers have turned to carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies. With this, they have managed to adapt their artificial leaf to work with factory exhaust gases or directly with the ambient air.
Soon a laboratory demonstrator
A system enriched with an alkaline solution. air flowing through. In this way, they succeeded in selectively capturing CO2. And even concentrate it, to then facilitate the transformation of that CO2. But the not-so-secret part of the operation was… plastic waste! “When we add plastic waste to the system, the plastic donates electrons to CO2. This facilitates the reactions and the plastic subsequently breaks down into glycolic acid, which is widely used in the cosmetics industry. The CO2 is converted into synthesis gas, which is a simple fuel,” explains Motiar Rahaman, the first author of the work, in a press release from the University of Cambridge. Remember, everything is powered solely by sunlight.
The researchers are now working on developing a laboratory demonstrator. “This technology could help us eliminate fossil fuels from the fuel manufacturing process,” notes Motiar Rahaman. What hope to finally eliminate these fuels from the equation altogether. And thus stop our CO2 emissions. Or you can even reverse the machine, continuing to capture CO2 in the air until the concentration returns to pre-industrial concentration levels.