Aftermarket Carbon Capture Utilization
New process enhances carbon capture and conversion
The study was led by researchers at the University of Sydney and University of Toronto. Image: Pexels.
A team of researchers at the Universities of Sydney and Toronto have developed a new acid-based electrochemical process for the conversion of captured CO2. The new method uses an acidic reactive chemical. The study rendered a twofold improvement in energy efficiency compared to previous benchmarks.
The catalyst works by applying an acidic electrolyte, with more carbon being utilized for conversion in the process compared with alkaline-based solutions. When being treated with electricity, the CO2 is catalyzed into multicarbon products.
“Until now, converting CO2 into multicarbon products in acidic media has been challenging. Using an adlayer system, the catalyst acquires a reactive environment that is favorable for multicarbon formation at an energy-efficient operating condition,” said Dr Fengwang Li, a corresponding author of the study from the University of Sydney School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
