United Kingdom – Carbon dioxide can be converted into clean, sustainable fuels without producing any unwanted byproducts or waste, according to researchers.
Enzymes, biological catalysts, have previously been shown to be able to produce fuels using renewable energy, but at a lower efficiency. An 18-fold increase in fuel production efficiency in laboratory conditions shows that carbon emissions can be efficiently converted into green fuels without the use of any additional energy. As a result of most methods for converting CO2 into fuel, unwanted byproducts like hydrogen are also generated. However, scientists can alter the chemical conditions in order to reduce hydrogen production while reducing the efficiency of CO2 conversion.
Chemical reactions that convert CO2 into fuel using an electrolysis process are fueled by enzymes isolated from bacteria in the Cambridge proof of concept. Enzymes are more efficient than other catalysts, such as gold, but they are extremely sensitive to the chemical environment in which they work. Chemical reactions are slowed down if the local environment isn’t just right.
Enzyme-based system
With the help of Portuguese colleagues from University of Nova Lisboa, a method has been developed to improve the efficiency of electrolysis by altering the enzymes’ local environment in solution.
In order to improve CO2 electrolysis, researchers used computational methods. By implementing an enzyme-based system, the level of fuel production was increased by 18 times. Using enzymes that produce fuel while also controlling the local environment, the team was able to further improve the area’s environment. One of the findings was that by adding another enzyme, the reactions became more efficient and less likely to produce undesirable waste products.
Researchers believe that the catalysts are the key to more efficient CO2 electrolysis. In recent years, synthetic catalysts have made significant progress, but they still fall short of the enzymes used in this study.
