Can carbon dioxide be converted into fuel？

2023-08-21

1. How to convert CO2 into fuel?

First, using solar energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into fuel. Researchers use solar energy to split carbon dioxide and water to produce gases such as hydrogen, carbon monoxide or methane, which are then processed to convert them into chemicals that can be used as fuel. In this way, the scientists have succeeded in converting carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide, which is required for the Zviack reaction (Zviack).
Second, microbes are used to convert carbon dioxide into organic matter. Using microorganisms (including algae and bacteria, etc.) to perform photosynthesis, convert light energy directly into chemical energy, and convert carbon dioxide into organic matter such as sugar to produce biomass fuel. For example, researchers use algae to convert solar energy and carbon dioxide into oil and other biomass to make things like biodiesel and biogasoline.
Finally, a chemical reaction is used to convert the carbon dioxide into fuel. For example, researchers use thermochemical or electrochemical reactions to convert carbon dioxide into ammonia or other organics, which can then be processed into chemicals that can be used as fuel. For example, electrochemical reduction is used to convert carbon dioxide into formal acids or organic substances such as formic acid, which are then further synthesized into fuels, etc.

2. Can CO2 be converted into other things?

Substances that can interconvert with carbon dioxide include plants, animals, microorganisms and some chemical reactions.
Plants are the most important converters of carbon dioxide. They convert carbon dioxide into organic matter through photosynthesis, thus providing the energy needed by organisms. Photosynthesis is the process by which plants absorb water and carbon dioxide from the sun's energy, then use the carbon atoms in them to make sugars and other organic matter, while releasing oxygen. These organic matters are used by plants as raw materials for their growth and reproduction, and carbon dioxide is also released by plants, thus completing the cycle of carbon dioxide.
Animals and microorganisms can also convert carbon dioxide into oxygen through the respiration process, especially some marine organisms, such as seaweed, etc., they can convert a large amount of carbon dioxide into organic matter, thereby changing the marine environment.
In addition, some chemical reactions can also convert carbon dioxide into other substances. For example, burning coal can convert carbon dioxide into sulfur dioxide and water, and calcium carbonate can convert carbon dioxide into calcium carbonate, which can be used to make materials such as metals and cement. In addition, some chemical reactions can also convert carbon dioxide into hydrocarbons, such as methane, and use them for various purposes.
In summary, plants, animals, microbes, and some chemical reactions are all capable of changing the environment by converting carbon dioxide into other substances.

3. Can we convert CO2 back into coal?

In theory, it is also possible.
Where did the coal come from? It is produced by plants buried in the ground. The carbon element in plants sometimes comes from plants absorbing carbon dioxide in the air and turning them into organic matter through photosynthesis. Therefore, for the same number of moles of carbon atoms, the energy of carbon dioxide is lower than that of coal. Therefore, in nature, the reaction of burning coal to generate carbon dioxide can proceed spontaneously when the initial energy (such as ignition) is satisfied, but the process of turning carbon dioxide into organic matter cannot proceed spontaneously, and must pass through photosynthesis, and the energy comes from the sun.
If we talk about artificial refining, we can simulate photosynthesis and coal formation process. However, there is no economic benefit at all.

4. Can CO2 be converted into natural gas?

Yes, the chemical method consumes a lot of energy, so the gain is worth the loss.
Planting trees, using nature to transform, takes a long time, and requires everyone's long-term efforts, and Z-F's firm, consistent, practical, and effective policies to increase the vegetation of the earth, not decrease it. After the vegetation consumes carbon dioxide, through the movement of the earth's crust, it turns into oil, etc. like in ancient times.
There is also a kind of grain that absorbs carbon dioxide, and directly produces alcohol and biogas from grain and straw, which is also a transformation

5. What happens when carbon dioxide and hydrogen mix?

Carbon dioxide and hydrogen can react to produce different products under different reaction conditions:
1. Carbon dioxide and hydrogen react at high temperature to form carbon monoxide and water;
2. Carbon dioxide and hydrogen react under high temperature and high pressure to form methane and water. Methane is the simplest organic substance and the main component of natural gas, biogas, pit gas, etc., commonly known as gas;
3. Carbon dioxide and hydrogen react at high temperature and add catalyst ruthenium-phosphine-chromium compound to produce methanol, which is the simplest saturated monohydric alcohol and is a colorless and volatile liquid with alcohol odor. It is used to produce formaldehyde and Pesticides, etc., and used as an extractant for organic matter and a denaturant for alcohol.

6. Converting carbon dioxide into liquid fuels

Chemists at the University of Illinois have succeeded in creating fuel from water, carbon dioxide and visible light through artificial photosynthesis. By converting carbon dioxide into more complex molecules such as propane, green energy technology has successfully moved forward to harness excess carbon dioxide and store solar energy in the form of chemical bonds for use during periods of low sunlight and peak energy demand.
Plants use sunlight to drive the reaction of water and carbon dioxide to produce high-energy glucose to store solar energy. In the new study, the researchers developed an artificial reaction using electron-rich gold nanoparticles as a catalyst to convert carbon dioxide and water into fuel using the visible green light that plants use in natural photosynthesis. These new findings were published in the journal Nature Communications.
"Our goal is to produce complex, liquefiable hydrocarbons from excess carbon dioxide and sustainable energy sources like solar energy," said Prashant Jain, professor of chemistry and study co-author. "Liquid fuels are ideal because they are compatible with gaseous fuels. They are easier, safer and more economical to transport, and they are made of long chain molecules with more bonds, which means they are more energy dense."
In Jain's lab, Sungju Yu, a postdoctoral researcher and the study's first author, used a metal catalyst to absorb green light and transport the electrons and protons needed for the chemical reaction of carbon dioxide and water, acting as chlorophyll in natural photosynthesis.
Gold nanoparticles work particularly well as catalysts because their surfaces react easily with carbon dioxide molecules, effectively absorbing light energy without breaking down like other rust-prone metals, Jain said.
There are many ways to release the energy stored in the chemical bonds of hydrocarbon fuels. However, the simple and traditional way of burning it would end up producing more carbon dioxide, which goes against the idea of capturing and storing solar energy in the first place, Jain said.
"There are other non-traditional applications of hydrocarbons made this way," he said. "They can generate current and voltage to power fuel cells. There are many labs around the world working on how to make them more efficient." convert the chemical energy in hydrocarbons into electrical energy."

HEADLINES