Carbon Fuel

A study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society states that the scientists have created a catalyst needed to convert carbon dioxide to a fuel. Researchers say that they can now convert carbon dioxide to methanol and use it as a fuel.

Methanol combustion in the presence of oxygen leads to the production of water and carbon dioxide. Scientists wanted to reverse this process by generating methanol from the available carbon dioxide by creating a catalyst that can enable the conversion. Therefore, they developed a catalyst that contains Borane, a compound of boron and hydrogen as well as phosphine, a compound of phosphorus and hydrogen.

The new catalyst, unlike other catalysts, does not contain metals and is thus non–toxic and comparatively cheaper. To provide for the source of hydrogen and chemical energy required for the catalysis, scientists used hydroborane (BH3), thus, dishing out favourable results. The low emission fuel can be used to slash dependency on the greenhouse gases, thereby ensuring a greener environment.

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