According to research from the University of Surrey, CO can be captured₂ It takes it from the atmosphere and converts it into chemicals, often derived from fossil fuels. This technology allows scientists to capture CO₂ and converting it into useful substances such as carbon monoxide and synthetic natural gas in a single continuous process, potentially leading to more sustainable methods of chemical production.

Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Surrey, Dr. Melis Dujar commented: “Capture of CO₂ taking it from the ambient air and converting it directly into useful products is exactly what we need to achieve carbon neutrality in the chemical industry. It is likely to be an important milestone in the steps needed to be taken for the UK to reach its net zero targets by 2050. We need to move away from our current ideas of how we produce chemicals because current practices rely on fossil fuels that are not sustainable. With this technology, we can provide chemicals with much lower carbon emissions and consider replacing fossil fuels with carbon dioxide and renewable hydrogen as building blocks for other important chemicals.”

The technology uses patented, replaceable Dual Functional Materials (DFM) that capture carbon dioxide on their surface and catalyze the conversion of the captured CO.₂ directly to chemicals The “switchable” nature of DFMs comes from their ability to produce multiple chemicals depending on operating conditions or the composition of the reagent added. In this way, the technology is responding to fluctuations in demand for chemicals and the availability of reactively renewable hydrogen.

Dr Dujar continued: “These results are a testament to the excellence of research in Surrey, thanks to the continuous improvement of facilities, internal funding schemes and collaborative culture.”

Lukia-Pancekrula Mercouri, PhD student at the University of Surrey who led the research, added: “This research not only demonstrates a viable solution for the production of carbon-neutral fuels and chemicals, but also offers an innovative approach to combat the ever-increasing carbon emission of CO emissions.₂This contributes to global warming.”