New Catalyst Can Convert Carbon Dioxide into Methane Gas via Solar Energy

The latest discovery from Australian scientists can replace the applications of fossil fuel as it can convert carbon dioxide into methane gas using solar energy.

As the sources of recyclable energy are quite restricted and the applications of fossil fuel have been skyrocketing at a notable pace, it has become truly tougher to control the intensity of climate change and global warming. As the burning of fossilised fuels is most significantly contributing to the climate change and hiking level of carbon dioxide, it has become highly crucial to find out a reliable substitute for fossil fuels as soon as possible. However, the latest discovery of Australian scientists has brought up the search for a suitable alternative to fossil fuel an inch closer to reality as they have developed a new catalyst which can convert Carbon Dioxide into Methane gas using solar energy.

A team of scientists from the University of Adelaide, in collaboration with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), has developed a path-breaking catalyst, which could potentially put back the requirement of burning fossil fuels. As claimed by scientists, the mechanism can pave the paths for lowering the emissions of CO2 from current carbon-based energy technologies. The new catalyst is driving the procedure of coalescing the deadly CO2 with hydrogen for produce beneficial methane gas as well as water.

According to Renata Lippi, the lead author of the study and a researcher at the University of Adelaide, “Detaining carbon dioxide from the air and employing it for industrial applications is one of the most effective and practical strategy for restricting the mounting emissions of CO2 as well as cutting down the needs for the applications of fossil fuels. But for making this economically feasible, we need an energy-efficient procedure that uses CO2 as a carbon source and converts it into other helpful gases, rather than eliminating it completely from the atmosphere.”

As we beforehand know, by employing solar energy, Hydrogen can easily be produced. But the Australian research team is the first one to combine Hydrogen with CO2 for producing methane which is the safest option for eliminating Co2 emissions. This method will also allow researchers to make the best use of current natural gas infrastructure for reducing the carbon-based fuel technologies.

As highlighted by the brains behind this invention, the revolutionary catalyst is synthesised via metal-organic structure, which enables clear-cut control over the chemical elements. While the existing enzymes sometimes present problems during CO2 adaptation, production of superfluous carbon-monoxide, catalyst constancy and low rate of methane production, the new catalyst is capable of producing nearly pure methane from the carbon dioxide. It minimises the generation of carbon-monoxide and makes its stability truly high.