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New Delhi, March 7 (IANS): A team of Indian researchers has synthesized a novel, highly efficient photocatalyst that can convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into high-value products, ethene and ethylene, used as fuel gases and also for the polymer industry.
The innovation will help India move towards the use of clean fuels and reinforce its goal of net zero emissions by 2070.
The team at the Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru (an autonomous institution under the Department of Science and Technology), developed the photocatalyst with an unprecedented selectivity of 99 percent towards C2H4 (ethylene), a compound typically high. -Value product obtained from CO2.
To achieve a sustainable future, harnessing solar energy for fuel production is crucial, and efficient photocatalysts are key in converting solar energy to fuel.
Materials for photocatalytic CO2 reduction reactions are still in the early stages of development. The new composite catalyst demonstrates the highest formation rate in the field of photocatalysis, the team wrote in the paper published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS) and Angewandte Chemie International Edition.
Research led by JNCASR materials scientist Professor Sebastian C. Peter presents a cost-effective, template-free strategy that is practical and potentially scalable for large-scale applications.
“The catalysts we have developed have not simply been limited to the laboratory. In fact, we have successfully expanded our innovations, with a dedicated building within JNCASR’s other campus serving as an epicenter for large-scale demonstrations. These demonstrations have attracted attention . from national and international agencies, including our participation in the prestigious NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, where our technology received ISO certification,” Professor Peter said in a statement.