A researcher at the University of Central Florida (UCF) has developed an exciting new technology that could help reduce the harmful effects of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions on our planet.
The device, created by Yang Yang, an associate professor at UCF’s NanoScience Technology Center, captures CO₂ from the air and turns it into useful fuels and chemicals.
This breakthrough device is designed with a special surface made of tin oxide and a fluorine layer.
When CO₂ comes into contact with this surface, the device captures the gas and sends it through a bubbling electrode.
The gas is then converted into valuable chemicals like carbon monoxide and formic acid. These chemicals are important raw materials used in manufacturing.
This innovative technology, described in a study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, is a promising step towards reducing our carbon footprint and creating sustainable energy sources.
“We want to develop better technology to make our world cleaner and safer,” Yang says. He explains that too much CO₂ in the atmosphere contributes to the greenhouse effect, which heats the Earth at an alarming rate.
This concern motivated him to create a material that can capture CO₂ and transform it into chemicals we can use.
The technology could be installed at power plants, factories, and chemical production facilities, where it would capture CO₂ emissions and convert them into useful products.
Yang’s inspiration for this device came from the natural world. He explains that scientists often look to nature for ideas.
In this case, the lotus plant played a key role. The lotus has a hydrophobic (water-repelling) surface, which means water slides off it easily. Similarly, the device’s surface repels water, allowing it to capture CO₂ more effectively.
The process mimics how green plants absorb CO₂ and convert it into oxygen through photosynthesis. However, Yang’s device goes a step further by customizing the conversion process to produce specific chemicals like methanol, methane, ethanol, and more, depending on the reaction.
One of the challenges Yang faced was controlling the amount of water on the device’s surface. Too much water could lead to the production of hydrogen instead of the desired chemicals, reducing the efficiency of the process. By repelling water from the surface, the device avoids this issue and enhances the CO₂ conversion process.
While there are many efforts globally to capture and reduce CO₂, Yang hopes his device will offer a faster and more cost-effective solution. He also envisions using renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind power, to power the device, making it even more sustainable.
Yang’s work builds on his previous research in creating new materials for fuel cells, and this new device marks an important step towards large-scale CO₂ capture. His next goal is to develop a bigger prototype to demonstrate how quickly and effectively the device can reduce CO₂ levels and produce useful chemicals and fuels.
Source: University of Central Florida.
