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The researchers converted carbon dioxide into methanol by shining sunlight on copper atoms deposited on a light-activated material.
An international research group has developed a material consisting of copper atoms fixed on nanocrystalline carbon nitride. Under the influence of solar radiation, this material converts carbon dioxide into methanol, opening a new way to produce ecological fuel.
Photocatalysis and electrocatalysis use sunlight and water to convert carbon dioxide into useful products. In photocatalysis, for example, sunlight falls on a semiconductor material to excite electrons. These electrons pass through the material and react with carbon dioxide and water. But usually this process is not very efficient. Researchers were looking for materials that would increase the effectiveness of the transformation.
The scientists heated the carbon nitride to maximize its properties for photocatalysis. Using magnetron sputtering, the researchers deposited copper atoms. As a result, the atoms were formed into a nanocrystalline structure that allows electrons to move from carbon nitride to carbon dioxide.
By measuring the electric current generated by the catalyst, the researchers found that even without copper, the nanocrystalline form of carbon nitride was 44 times more active than the traditional form used in catalysis. At the same time, the addition of only 1 mg of copper per 1 g of carbon nitride increased the efficiency four times. At the same time, as a result, it was not methane that began to be released, but methanol - a valuable environmentally friendly fuel.
The study shows that the by-product of carbon fuel combustion is carbon dioxide - can be processed into useful substances. They, in turn, can be used again as fuel, creating a closed-loop economy around them. At the same time, water, light and components widely available on Earth - copper, nitrogen and carbon - are sufficient for production.
