Researchers from the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have presented an innovative technique to effectively convert CO₂ into ethanol for use as a biofuel, providing a renewable resource for sustainable chemical applications.
This process, based on electrocatalysis with electricity from renewable sources, promises to be sustainable and reduce the pressure on food crops intended for ethanol production.
Efficient Tandem System
The electrochemical conversion of CO₂ into multicarbon products such as ethanol represents an ideal approach to produce biofuels and valuable raw materials. The team has developed a special electrode coated with a precise mixture of cobalt and copper.
In this process, cobalt breaks down the CO₂, forming carbon monoxide (CO), while copper converts CO into ethanol in a second step. This conversion is possible when both metals are in specific and close positions on the electrode.
Improvements and Future Perspectives
The current technology achieves a selectivity of 80%, but the team continues to work towards reaching a selectivity of 90 to 95%, and in an ideal scenario, achieving a catalyst with 100% selectivity so that ethanol is the only product of the process. This would allow progress in the sustainability of the method and its commercial viability.
Collaboration and Stability
The success of this process depends on the precise control of the process and the loading of cobalt and copper on the electrode. The researchers have collaborated with the University of Ulm to develop an efficient and durable catalyst.
This system has demonstrated stability without a loss of performance after several months of use. The natural abundance of cobalt and copper on Earth was decisive in their choice as catalysts, reflecting a trend towards the use of non-precious metals and widely available resources.
Sustainable Ethanol Production
The production of ethanol from CO₂ and renewable electricity offers a pathway to sustainability, avoiding competition between food and fuel production.
This method could harness the CO₂ emitted by power plants and use green electricity to sustainably produce ethanol.
Research in SusInnoScience
Professor Carsten Streb, leader of the research team, participates in collaborative projects focused on sustainable catalysis, funded by various institutions.
This study is part of the SusInnoScience research line, which seeks to promote sustainable chemistry as a key to innovation in resource science for the Anthropocene.
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