Scientists Develop Catalyst to Convert CO₂ into Ethanol

30-second brief

Researchers led by Professor Hyoyoung Lee at Sungkyunkwan University developed a new catalyst that uses electricity to convert carbon dioxide into ethanol with high selectivity.

One-minute read

A research group at Sungkyunkwan University, headed by Professor Hyoyoung Lee from the Department of Chemistry, has engineered a novel catalyst capable of turning carbon dioxide into ethanol using electrical energy. The process leverages atomic-scale interactions between copper and zinc to facilitate asymmetric carbon-carbon coupling, ensuring high conversion selectivity. The detailed findings were featured in the journal Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy under the study title 'Atomic-scale Cu–Zn synergy directs asymmetric C–C coupling for ethanol-selective CO2 electroreduction.' This advancement marks progress in electrochemical carbon utilization technologies.

Background

Electrochemical CO2 reduction aims to transform industrial carbon emissions into useful fuels and chemicals, though achieving high selectivity for multi-carbon products like ethanol has historically presented chemical challenges.

Key terms

Electroreduction

A chemical reaction driven by the application of electric current that reduces the oxidation state of molecules.

Catalyst

A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without undergoing permanent chemical change itself.

C–C Coupling

A chemical reaction forming a new bond between two carbon atoms, critical for synthesizing complex organic molecules.