It is not the first time we are talking about projects in which different universities are involved, although this is undoubtedly the most peculiar and arrives directly from Cambridge. Three years ago, a group of researchers from the British University presented a project that tried to manufacture biocaries from what they themselves described as an artificial “sheet”.
Through this technology the natural process of photosynthesis was imitated, using water, light and carbon dioxide to generate energy. Subsequently, through a second chemical process, the water division allowed to obtain hydrogen, while carbon dioxide became syngas (or synthesis gas), a precursor of biofuels such as bioethanol and propanol.
Now, this same group of researchers has taken a step further in this technology with an advance that has managed to improve its efficiency in a more than remarkable way. The key change has been the incorporation of Perovskita, a mineral that is used in the manufacture of solar panels. Thanks to this mineral and its greatest absorption capacity, the results of the first prototype have been substantially improved. Also, as stated in the study published in Nature Catalysis, copper nano-flores are used as catalysts to optimize CO₂ conversion.
The efficiency of the process brings us a little more to artificial biocarbons
This combination of materials allows the creation of more complex hydrocarbons. While traditional metal catalysts only manage to convert CO₂ into simple compounds, the introduction of copper nano-flores has given rise to hydrocarbons production with two carbon atoms, such as ethane and ethylene. In this way, the efficiency of the process has been increased up to 200 times compared to previous versions.
The main author of the study, Virgil Andrei, stressed the importance of international collaboration in the development of this project. “This project is an excellent example of how global research associations can make scientific advances of great impact. Combining the experience of Cambridge and Berkeley, we have developed a system that can remodel the way we produce fuels and chemicals of value sustainably”He said.
With this advance, the production of green fuels takes a significant step towards a more efficient and viable alternative for the sustainable energy transition.
