On-site reactors could affordably turn CO2 into valuable chemicals

New technology makes the process of turning CO2 into valuable chemicals economically viable for industrialization. New technology developed at the University of Waterloo could make a significant difference in the fight against climate change by affordably converting harmful carbon dioxide (CO2) into fuels and other valuable chemicals on an industrial scale. Outlined in a study published today in the journal Nature Energy, the system yields 10 times more carbon monoxide (CO) - which can be used to make ethanol, methane and other desirable substances - than existing, small-scale technologies now limited to testing in laboratories. Its individual cells can also be stacked to form reactors of any size, making the technology a customizable, economically viable solution that could be installed right on site, for example, at factories with CO2 emissions. "This is a critical bridge to connect CO2 lab technology to industrial applications," said Dr. Zhongwei Chen , a chemical engineering professor at Waterloo. "Without it, it is very difficult for materials-based technologies to be used commercially because they are just too expensive." The system features devices known as electrolyzers that convert CO2, a major greenhouse gas produced by burning fossil fuels, into CO using water and electricity. Electrolyzers developed by the researchers have new electrodes and a new kind of liquid-based electrolyte, which is saturated with CO2 and flowed through the devices for conversion into CO via an electrochemical reaction.