Imagine if instead of polluting the atmosphere, carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions could be transformed into valuable products.
This idea is becoming a reality thanks to a groundbreaking discovery from a team led by Professor Xile Hu at EPFL.
They have developed a new type of catalyst that makes high-temperature CO₂ conversion more efficient and durable than ever before.
Their work, recently published in Nature, is a promising step toward greener energy and more sustainable industrial practices.
Electrochemical CO₂ conversion is a process that turns carbon dioxide into useful chemicals like carbon monoxide, which is a crucial ingredient in many industrial processes.
While low-temperature methods exist, they often last less than 100 hours and achieve less than 35% efficiency.
High-temperature conversion—typically between 600 and 1,000°C—has greater potential but faces its own challenges.
Current catalysts either degrade too quickly or require expensive materials like precious metals, making the technology impractical for large-scale use.
To solve this, Professor Hu’s team created a durable catalyst that operates at 90% energy efficiency, achieves 100% product selectivity, and lasts over 2,000 hours—far surpassing current technologies.
Their innovative design uses a cobalt-nickel (Co-Ni) alloy that is encapsulated within a ceramic material called Sm₂O₃-doped CeO₂ (SDC). This ceramic shell prevents the alloy from clumping together, which is a common problem that reduces a catalyst’s effectiveness over time.
The catalyst was created using a method called sol-gel processing. First-author and EPFL postdoctoral researcher Wenchao Ma led this process, which involves mixing metal salts with organic molecules to form tiny metal clusters.
These clusters are then coated with a ceramic shell to enhance their stability.
The team experimented with different metal combinations and found that the mix of cobalt and nickel was the most effective.
When tested at 800°C, the catalyst maintained its impressive 90% energy efficiency while converting CO₂ into carbon monoxide with 100% selectivity.
This means almost all the energy used in the reaction directly produced the desired chemical, with no wasteful side reactions.
The ability to operate efficiently for more than 2,000 hours without degradation is a huge leap forward, significantly cutting costs and extending the lifespan of the technology.
The implications are enormous. With this catalyst, industries could potentially recycle their CO₂ emissions, turning what was once waste into valuable chemical products.
This would not only reduce the environmental impact of heavy industries but also lower operational costs by as much as 60% to 80%, according to preliminary estimates by the researchers.
The EPFL team has already filed an international patent for their catalyst, signaling its potential to revolutionize how industries manage carbon emissions.
This technology brings us one step closer to a future where recycling carbon emissions is as routine as recycling paper and plastic, making cleaner, more sustainable industries a real possibility.
Source: KSR.
