Scientists Convert Greenhouse Gases into Useful Products with Breakthrough Method
Scientists have made a significant breakthrough in converting greenhouse gases into useful products. A team led by Anthony Shoji Hall, an associate professor at Penn Engineering, has discovered a method to disrupt water's hydrogen bonding network, aiding in the conversion of carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) into multi-carbon products like ethylene (C2H4).
The team's research, supported by the National Science Foundation and the American Chemistry Society Petroleum Research Fund, focused on the role of sodium perchlorate (NaClO4) in water. By precisely tuning its concentration, they could disrupt the water's network and promote the formation of multi-carbon products.
Initially, converting CO and CO2 into such products was challenging, even with popular metal catalysts like copper. However, Hall's team found that increasing NaClO4 concentration from 0.01 to 10 molal significantly improved Faradaic efficiency, from 19% to 91%, with ethylene production increasing eighteenfold. Remarkably, the reaction was driven by entropy, or the growing disorder among water molecules at the interface, rather than proton transfer.
This discovery has wide-ranging implications for various electrochemical systems, as water is a universal component. Multi-carbon products like ethylene can serve as fuels or building blocks for various goods, contributing to cleaner power sources and products. The research, published in the journal Nature, opens up new avenues for recycling CO and CO2, potentially helping to mitigate climate change.
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