Carbon dioxide (CO₂) can be harmful to the environment in large amounts but can be used in the production of fuels and other useful chemicals. Doing so isn't easy, though. Now, Yale researchers have developed a new way to combine electrocatalysis and plasma to efficiently and practically generate a number of valuable products from the gas. The results are published in Nature Catalysis.
  • Jason2357@lemmy.caEnglish
    6·
    1 month ago

    Its pretty simple.

    Hydrocarbons + oxygen + ignition releases energy, H20, and CO2.

    Energy + CO2 + H20 can synthesize hydrocarbons.

    There is plenty of interesting research how to do the latter - but it doesnt change the fact it just reverses a process we currently do by the tanker ship full. Why would anyone do that at scale?

    It cant have a large scale application until we basically have free energy from some other source - and at that point, synthetic fuel is probably still a terrible way to store and use energy for pretty much everything except jet airplanes.

  • 9point6@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    1 month ago

    My terminally online brain initially saw the first image in the thumbnail as a 3d version of the mental gymnastics meme for some reason

    I need to go and walk in a park or something

    • Alex@lemmy.mlEnglish
      2·
      1 month ago

      Gymnastics might not be a bad alagory for catalysis. It’s all about getting the molecules lined up to make the reactions easier than relying on heat and random collisions to get you there.