Credit: Libo Yao et al.
University of Michigan researchers have developed a novel catalyst material to drive the conversion of carbon dioxide into fuels such as methanol. The two-step conversion presents a novel approach to combating greenhouse gas emissions while offering a new production method for clean energy.
The method, published in ACS Catalysis, utilizes cobalt phthalocyanine as a catalyst to convert carbon dioxide into methanol. The process, which first converts CO₂ into CO before converting CO into methanol, could provide a more environmentally friendly fuel production method. Scientists have long sought a method to convert CO₂ into fuels, and while the conversion has been industrialized, a large-scale electrochemical process for the conversion has proved to be a challenge.
"Our approach is unique because we are able to bring and bridge all this knowledge that each field has on the same problem. We have scientists and engineers all within one team, brainstorming and gathering insights to design and understand the system in the best way possible," said Kevin Rivera-Cruz, co-primary author of the study.
In the reaction, cobalt phthalocyanine acts as a “molecular hook” for CO₂ and CO molecules with their arrangement around the cobalt ultimately determining the strength of the bond. However, during testing the researchers discovered that cobalt phthalocyanine binds more strongly to CO₂ molecules, necessitating the additional step of converting CO to methanol by displacing it with the additional CO₂ molecule.
The researchers believe the catalyst could be redesigned to strengthen its interaction with CO and lessen its bonding strength with CO₂. This redesign, if successful, could lead to future catalysts being designed to convert CO₂ into clean energy products on a larger scale.