Stanford engineers create a catalyst that can turn carbon dioxide into gasoline 1,000 times more efficiently

[Emily]

https://news.stanford.edu/2022/02/09/turning-carbon-dioxide-gasoline-efficiently/

February 9, 2022
Stanford engineers create a catalyst that can turn carbon dioxide into gasoline 1,000 times more efficiently

Captured CO₂ can be turned into carbon-neutral fuels, but technological advances are needed. In new research, a new catalyst increased the production of long-chain hydrocarbons in chemical reactions by some 1,000 times over existing methods.

By Andrew Myers

Engineers working to reverse the proliferation of greenhouse gases know that in addition to reducing carbon dioxide emissions we will also need to remove carbon dioxide from power plant fumes or from the skies. But, what do we do with all that captured carbon? Matteo Cargnello, a chemical engineer at Stanford University, is working to turn it into other useful chemicals, such as propane, butane or other hydrocarbon fuels that are made up of long chains of carbon and hydrogen.
Chengshuang Zhou holds vials of ruthenium, left, and the coated catalyst, while Matteo Cargnello holds the pipe used for the reaction experiments. (Image credit: Mark Golden)

“We can create gasoline, basically,” said Cargnello, who is an assistant professor of chemical engineering. “To capture as much carbon as possible, you want the longest chain hydrocarbons. Chains with eight to 12 carbon atoms would be the ideal.”..