Finding a catalyst can convert CO2 into clean energy

is part of the artificial photosynthesis system. This system acts as a leaf in nature and converts CO ₂ into solar or wind energy.

Researchers at U of T Engineering have taken a step closer to artificial photosynthesis when creating a new catalyst. This system will capture CO ₂ emissions and store them, then convert them into clean energy forms such as solar energy or wind power.

This invention is a great step forward in the fight against climate change and the ongoing environmental pollution in the world. Not only helps reduce emissions, but also transforms into clean energy for reuse.

Phil De Luna is one of the authors of this study of a high-performance catalyst in creating future artificial photosynthesis systems.(Photo: Tyler Irving).

'Retaining carbon emissions has been a difficult problem. But being able to store and convert them into stored energy like batteries is a promising and challenging technology. This energy will be so large that it can be used to heat the whole winter or refuel the transatlantic aircraft , 'said researcher Phil De Luna, author of the study published in Nature Chemistry.

De Luna and co-author Xueli Zheng and Bo Zhang jointly carried out this research under the supervision of Professor Ted Sargent, whose primary purpose was to design a technology inspired by nature.

Future photosynthetic systems act as natural optics of plant leaves or photosynthetic organisms. They use sunlight to convert CO2 and water into molecules that humans can use to make fuel.

Just like in the plant body, this system will consist of two related chemical reactions, namely splitting H ₂ O into protons and oxygen, and the other reacting to convert CO ₂ to carbon monoxide or CO. (CO can be converted into hydrocarbon fuel through an industrial process called Fischer-Tropsch synthesis .)

'Over the years, our team has developed a very effective catalyst for both of these reactions. But the second reaction only occurs in a neutral environment, while the first reaction requires a high pH to occur in the most productive way , 'said Zhang, co-author of the study.

This means that, if both reactions are in place, the synthesis will not be the most effective because the energy is lost when the charge particles move back and forth between the two reactions. Need a substance that can ensure the best conditions for both reactions.

Researcher Xueli Zheng (left) and Bo Zhang are experimenting with a new catalyst for artificial photosynthesis.(Photo: Marit Mitchell).

The team has now overcome this obstacle, they developed a new catalyst for the first reaction - water splits into protons and oxygen. Unlike the previous catalyst, this substance works in a neutral pH environment and under this condition, it will perform better than the previous catalyst.

In this study, the research team recorded the efficiency of the transition at 64%. According to De Luna, this is the highest value ever achieved for such a system. The previous figures only reached 54%, the highest.

This new catalyst is made up of nickel, iron, cobalt and phosphorus. They are all cheap and safe chemicals to use. Can be synthesized into catalyst under room temperature conditions at low cost. The team noted that it was stable in a total of 100 hours.

With this newly improved catalyst, Sargent laboratory has now begun to build artificial photosynthesis system at the laboratory scale. The ultimate goal will be to retain CO2 produced by gas plants and convert them into reusable fuels.

Their team and inventors won the semifinals of the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE competition, a $ 20 million prize that will be awarded to them to continue developing this groundbreaking technology and will transform the toxic waste into clean energy in the future.

'Seeing the rapid progress in this technology makes me very happy. At every seminar held periodically and we present new advances in this technology, people feel it is a real achievement for the future , 'De Luna said.