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Greener days ahead for carbon fuels

Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have discovered a copper catalyst that can efficiently convert carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals and fuels without wasteful byproducts. This breakthrough could enable the production of renewable fuels, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

SourceDOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory·JournalNature Catalysis·DateDec 18, 2018

Stepping toward a smaller carbon footprint

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have developed a new MOF that can selectively react with hydrogen molecules over carbon dioxide, allowing for efficient removal of CO2 from the atmosphere. This breakthrough technology has the potential to reduce net CO2 emissions and create valuable chemicals and fuels.

SourceUniversity of Pittsburgh·JournalCatalysis Science & Technology·DateOct 3, 2018

Fuels without fossils

Researchers at UD are developing a solar-driven carbon dioxide utilization technology to produce chemicals and fuels without using fossil sources. The system aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by utilizing carbon-neutral solar electricity.

New battery gobbles up carbon dioxide

A new type of battery developed by MIT researchers can convert carbon dioxide into a solid mineral carbonate as it discharges. This approach could potentially reduce the cost of carbon capture systems and make them more economically viable. The battery is made from lithium metal, carbon, and an electrolyte that incorporates captured CO2.

'These could revolutionize the world'

Vanderbilt University researchers have discovered a way to produce cheap and small carbon nanotubes from air, which are supermaterials stronger than steel and more conductive than copper. This breakthrough could steer the conversation towards using these materials in future technology, rather than just focusing on reducing emissions.

SourceVanderbilt University·JournalACS Applied Materials & Interfaces·DateMay 23, 2018

Ultrashort laser pulses make greenhouse gas reactive

Researchers at the University of Bonn used ultrashort laser pulses to create a highly reactive variant of carbon dioxide, which can form new bonds with other molecules. This breakthrough has the potential to change ideas about extracting and using greenhouse gases for chemical industry.

SourceUniversity of Bonn·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·DateMar 15, 2018

Creating complex molecules in just a few steps

Researchers have developed a new process for creating complex molecules in just a few steps, making it more efficient and environmentally friendly. The method involves C-H activation, allowing for the transformation of a single C-H bond into a functional group, enabling easy combination of two different molecules.

SourceRuhr-University Bochum·JournalAngewandte Chemie·DateMar 7, 2018

Durable wood 'sponges' act as green sensors of mechanical strain

Researchers created a sustainable wood carbon sponge material by treating balsa wood, making it highly compressible and suitable for strain sensing and various applications. The material's unique structure provides exceptional mechanical and fatigue resistance, outperforming most reported compressible carbonaceous materials.

SourceCell Press·JournalChem·DateMar 1, 2018

Research aims to help renewable jet fuel take flight

University of Delaware researchers have developed catalysts that transform lignocellulosic biomass into high-carbon molecules suitable for jet fuel, enabling cost-competitive and sustainable production. The process operates at low temperature and is scalable, addressing the need for non-petroleum-based fuels for aviation.

SourceUniversity of Delaware·JournalChemSusChem·DateOct 30, 2017

Carbon conversion

A Caltech team has identified a new additive that selectively converts CO2 into fuels containing multiple carbon atoms, including ethylene, ethanol, and propanol. The reaction resulted in an 80% conversion rate, with only 20% going into hydrogen and methane.

SourceCalifornia Institute of Technology·JournalDNA Research·DateAug 3, 2017

Deep blue carbon storage

Scientists at USC and Caltech have accelerated calcite dissolution in seawater, which could neutralize carbon in deep ocean waters. This process, known as buffering, naturally occurs billions of years and can help mitigate atmospheric CO2.

SourceUniversity of Southern California·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJul 17, 2017

Collisions generate gas in debris disks

Research finds atomic carbon in young star systems' debris disks, indicating minimal hydrogen presence. This suggests the gas is generated through collisions rather than being primordial.

SourceRIKEN·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateApr 12, 2017

All in one against CO2

A team of scientists has created a novel photothermocatalytic reaction that reduces CO2 to form useful carbon sources, opening new avenues for efficient CO2 conversion. The process utilizes powdered elemental boron as an all-in-one catalyst, light harvester, and hydrogen source.

SourceWiley·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·DateApr 11, 2017

Map helps maximize carbon-capture material

Researchers at Rice University have developed a recipe to make carbon capture materials the best they can be. Experiments showed that once a sorbent material achieved a surface area of 2,800 square meters per gram, neither more surface area nor larger pores made it more efficient at capturing carbon dioxide.

SourceRice University·JournalJournal of Materials Chemistry A·DateAug 22, 2016

Recycling carbon dioxide: U of T researchers reduce climate-warming CO2 to building blocks for fuels

Researchers at U of T have developed a technique to convert climate-warming carbon dioxide into useful chemicals, such as methanol and ethanol, by consuming the greenhouse gas. The breakthrough uses nanoneedles to catalyze the reaction, producing CO2 reduction faster than any catalyst previously reported.

Unraveling truly one-dimensional carbon solids

Researchers have synthesized micrometer length-scale carbon chains, surpassing previous records by more than one order of magnitude. The discovery confirms the existence of ultra-long linear carbon chains, also known as carbyne, using various advanced spectroscopic and microscopic techniques.

SourceUniversity of Vienna·JournalNature Materials·DateApr 4, 2016

Molecular-level relationships key to deciphering ocean carbon

Researchers have developed new tools to understand the complex relationships between ocean-borne compounds and microbes, revealing a vast network of molecular connections that store and transform atmospheric carbon in the world's oceans. The study focuses on dissolved organic matter, or DOM, as a central carbon reservoir.

SourceUniversity of Georgia·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMar 7, 2016

Heat buckyballs to help environment

Researchers at Rice University have made a breakthrough in developing tunable carbon-capture materials by heating buckyballs to alter their properties. This process enables the creation of materials that can selectively capture carbon dioxide from various sources, including industrial flue gases and natural-gas wells.

SourceRice University·JournalEnergy & Fuels·DateJul 13, 2015

New evidence shows carbon's importance to ocean life's survival 252 million years ago

Scientists discovered that elemental carbon became a key construction material for certain marine organisms, such as agglutinated foraminifers and worm tubes, after the devastating Permian-Triassic extinction event. The high influx of carbon into the ocean environment was linked to volcanic activity and coal combustion.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Arlington·JournalInternational Geology Review·DateApr 3, 2015