South Korean researchers develop new way to produce biofuel from CO2

In South Korea, researchers at UNIST uncovered new ways to make biofuel from carbon dioxide (CO₂), the most troublesome greenhouse gas. In their paper published in the journal Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, the team presented direct CO₂ conversion to liquid transportation fuels by reacting with renewable hydrogen (H2) generated by solar water splitting.

The currently existing catalysts, used for the reactions of H2 with CO₂ are limited mostly to low molecular weight substances, such as methane or methanol. Besides, due to the low value of these catalysts, the reduction effects of CO₂ is generally low. However, the new delafossite-based catalyst, presented by UNIST research team converts CO₂ into liquid hydrocarbon-based fuels (e.g., diesel fuel) in one single step. These fuel samples can be, then, used by existing diesel vehicles, like trucks and buses.

This new delafossite-based catalyst, composed of inexpensive, earth-abundant copper and steel is used in a reaction between CO₂ emissions of industrial plants and H2 generated from solar hydrogen plant to produce diesel.

This direct CO₂-FT synthesis is different from the German car maker Audi’s CO₂-to-dielsel conversion process, which actually involves two steps – reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction to CO followed by CO Fisher-Tropsch (FT) synthesis.