Aftermarket Carbon Capture Utilization

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New process enhances carbon capture and conversion

A team of researchers at the Universities of Sydney and Toronto have developed a new acid-based electrochemical process for the conversion of captured CO2. The new method uses an acidic reactive chemical. The study rendered a twofold improvement in energy efficiency compared to previous benchmarks.

The catalyst works by applying an acidic electrolyte, with more carbon being utilized for conversion in the process compared with alkaline-based solutions. When being treated with electricity, the CO2 is catalyzed into multicarbon products.

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“Until now, converting CO2 into multicarbon products in acidic media has been challenging. Using an adlayer system, the catalyst acquires a reactive environment that is favorable for multicarbon formation at an energy-efficient operating condition,” said Dr Fengwang Li, a corresponding author of the study from the University of Sydney School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.