Researchers have developed a novel technique which can directly split CO2 into carbon and oxygen, providing a potentially revolutionary way to combat global climate change while producing oxygen in challenging environments such as space.
The method, published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition, relies on an electrochemical device containing a gas cathode, nanoscale cocatalyst, and a metallic lithium anode. After being fed into the device, CO2 undergoes a two-step reduction to form Li2O and carbon. Once oxidized, Li2O is converted into lithium ions and gaseous O2. Thanks to the optimized catalyst, O2 is produced at an excellent yield of nearly 98.6%.
In addition to pure CO2, the team also demonstrated the devices’ ability to operate using mixed gasses containing variable fractions of CO2. The device is a first of its kind and could provide a practical and controllable O2 production method from CO2. Its unique design allows for O2 production in challenging environments such as underwater or in space, giving it a very large potential range of applications.