A new technology developed in Japan allows carbon dioxide (CO₂) to be converted into synthetic fuel components in just 15 minutes. This method achieves high efficiency with a low-cost catalyst, surpassing industrial standards and marking an important step toward a carbon-neutral future.
Scientists from Tohoku University, Hokkaido University, and AZUL Energy have developed an innovative method to convert CO₂ into carbon monoxide (CO). CO is a key building block in synthetic fuel production.
The new technique reduces the conversion time from 24 hours to just 15 minutes, surpassing all similar systems used to date.
Researcher Liu Tengyi from Tohoku University stated, "Converting CO₂ to CO is critical in combating climate change, but traditional methods are expensive, unstable, and unsuitable for industrial use. We wanted to solve these issues."
LOW-COST, HIGH EFFICIENCY WITH SPRAY METHOD
The research team studied different types of phthalocyanine (Pc) catalysts, both with and without metals. These compounds were applied to gas diffusion electrodes via a spray method, directly forming crystal structures. Among them, the low-cost cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc), a common dye, provided the highest efficiency.
In the new method, effective electrodes are obtained by simply applying a spray to the surface, without the need for traditional mixing and heating processes. The method demonstrated stable performance for 144 hours at a current density of 150 mA/cm², surpassing industrial standards.
The researchers verified that this catalyst outperformed all known Pc-based systems, confirming its effectiveness in the DigCat database.
A NEW ERA IN SYNTHETIC FUEL PRODUCTION
Liu emphasized the importance of the work, saying, "This is not only the best Pc-based catalyst but also the first example to surpass industrial standards."
As part of the research, detailed analyses of the crystal structures were conducted at Japan's NanoTerasu facility. The data showed that tightly ordered crystal arrangements facilitated electron transfer on the surface, resulting in high efficiency.
The developed gas diffusion electrode and CO₂ electrolysis method make carbon monoxide production faster and more cost-effective, removing one of the biggest obstacles to synthetic fuel production.
This new approach is seen as a promising solution within carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technologies.
