Scientists have created a small copper structure in a flower -like shape that helps solve the biggest tasks of mankind. Climate change and sustainable fuel production. In the research published in Natural catalystResearchers at Cambridge University and California University Berkeley have demonstrated how these microscope can convert carbon dioxide into valuable fuel and chemical substances using only sunlight.
This innovation combines artificial leaves made from advanced solar cell materials and copper “nanflower”, which acts as a catalyst for converting CO2 into hydrocarbon. The unique approach is the ability to generate more complex and valuable molecules than the previous method.
“We wanted to generate more complicated hydrocarbons beyond the basic reduction of carbon dioxide, but that requires a lot of energy,” Cambridge’s Yushu Hamide Bureau. Dr. Virgil Andley said.
The research team has solved this energy task by developing a system that processes glycerol (usually regarded as waste) with CO2. With this combination, the reaction became 200 times more efficiently than the previous approach.
“Glycerol is usually considered waste, but here it plays an important role in improving the reaction speed,” Andrey explained. “This indicates that platforms can be applied to a wide variety of chemical processes beyond mere waste conversion. By carefully designing the surface area of ​​the catalyst, it affects the products produced and selectively select the process. You can.
The artificial leaf is combined with a specially designed copper nanflower, which uses high -efficiency solar cell materials called pereskite. At the same time, they can convert CO2 and water to ethane and ethylene. This is a major building block for producing fuel, chemicals, and plastic without creating additional carbon emissions.
The current system converts about 10 % of CO2 into useful products, but researchers are optimistic about improving design. This technology will ultimately help the carbon dioxide will continue to create a circulatory economy that is continuously recycled for valuable materials and fuel.
“This project is an excellent example of how global research partnerships lead to influential scientific progress,” Andrey says. “We have developed a system that can reconstruct a method of continuously producing fuel and valuable chemicals by combining Cambridge and Berkeley’s expertise.”
The study was supported by the Winton program for sustainability physics, St. John’s College, the US Ministry of Energy, the European Research Council, and the UK research innovation (UKRI).
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