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Chinese manufactured material for efficiently converting carbon dioxide into fuel
Material scientists from the State Physical Laboratory in Hefei (China) предложили new material, capable of converting carbon dioxide into fuel oil. Electroreduction process that requires a relatively small amount of energy passes through a unique material composition consisting of layers of cobalt and cobalt oxide. The material thickness of only four atoms converts greenhouse gas формиаты (esters of formic acid).
As explained Kartish Mantiram [Karthish Manthiram], a chemist at the California Institute of Technology, has long worked on the problem of electroreduction of CO 2 sub>, the Chinese scientists created the material can really make a breakthrough in science. Scientists have for many years struggling with the problem of disposal of excess carbon dioxide that threatens our planet, greenhouse effect, but until now not been able to find materials well suited for this task.
Material suitable for this transformation should, firstly, to provide a stable gas conversion rate, second, this velocity must be high enough for practical use, and, thirdly, the process should not spend too much energy. In the end, part of the excess CO 2 sub> is formed precisely because of the production of electricity, so to spend too much energy on its utilization would be counterproductive.
New material by passing therethrough a pulse current begins to interact with the molecules passing through it of carbon dioxide - the hydrogen atom attached to a carbon atom in the carbon dioxide, and then adding another electron to an oxygen atom CO 2 sub> is converted to formate CHOO -.
By applying electric current of 10 mA per square centimeter of the material at a voltage of 0, 24, received at the output of scientists steady stream formates with 90% selectivity. In recognition Mantirama is the best indicator of all that is available today. According to him, yet 10 years ago such indicators were considered fundamentally unattainable. Although the years have to pass before the moment when this achievement will be implemented in commercial devices, scientists are very optimistic.
Source: geektimes.ru/post/269090/
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