Portugal Recycles CO2 with Water and Sunlight

http://www.electrochem.org/meetings/scheduler/abstracts/210/1795.pdf

 

This translation from the original Portuguese might, in places, be phrased a little awkwardly, but the message is precise: Using sunlight and water, we can convert Carbon Dioxide into hydrocarbon fuels, and some other useful substances.

 

Comment follows:

 

"Electrochemical and photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide for fuel cell utilization

 

M.R. Gonçalves, J.A.D. Condeço, T.C.D. Pardal D.M. Roncero, B.L. Aguado and C.A.C. Sequeira

Affiliations:

OMNIDEA, Lda Travessa António Gedeão, Portugal
Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisboa, Portugal
Universidad de Valladolid - Facultad de Ciencias, Valladolid

Abstract

 

The electroreduction of CO2 at various metal electrodes yields many kinds of organic substances, namely CO, CH4, C2H6, EtOH, etc. However, hydrocarbons are favourably produced on Cu electrode and so, many studies have been reported. 

 

The photochemical reduction of carbon dioxide by sunlight irradiation and under mild experimental conditions is also a very attractive method because of the needless of an electric source and an expensive apparatus. As for the direct use of solar energy, the production of fuel and organic raw materials on heterogeneous photocatalysts have been reported by numerous investigators.

In this paper, the photochemical reduction of carbon dioxide and water on microparticles of semiconductor oxides (TiO2, SiO2) and copper powder, illuminated by sunlight (500-1000 W/m2) for 100-200 hours at normal temperature and atmospheric pressure, was investigated and evaluated.
.

X-ray diffraction, gas chromatography, and other chemical and physical methods, allowed the analysis of the results. Methane and hydrogen were produced with reasonable yields, particularly for particles of larger surface area per unit weight. It was assumed that the electron holes available at the semiconductor/solution interface promote the H2O discharge to O2, and then both resulting H+ ions and conduction band electrons initiate the H+/CO2 reductons on the active sites ... that are responsible for the hydrogen and methane productions. Our results on the carbon dioxide reduction by electrochemical/chemical ways are very encouraging for the CO2 fixation and conversion to useful hydrocarbons and alcohols."

 

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To simplify it: Portugal knows how to convert CO2, "at normal temperature and atmospheric pressure", into "useful hydrocarbons and alcohols" by, basically, mixing it with water and exposing it to sunlight.

 

The proprietary key seems to be catalysis by oxides of titanium and silicon, and copper powder, with none of those being very exotic.

 

We suppose then, that the energy - "sunlight" - and raw material - "oxides of ... silicon, and copper", i.e., beach sand and recycled water pipes -  costs wouldn't be that excessive; presuming the CO2, noxious pollutant it has been portrayed to be, is obtained free of charge; and, unless we would prefer to pay to ship it to, and to have it pumped down, a leaky, drying-up old oil well. 

 

Note that this Portuguese research seems to support similar findings reported by multiple US DOE' National Labs, as we've reported. And, it confirms the results of Swiss developments we recently sent you, as in: "'Methanation and photo-methanation of carbon dioxide at room temperature and atmospheric pressure'

 

And, again, as we've documented from multiple other sources, once we've synthesized the Methane, "CH4", and the "alcohols", as above, from CO2, we can make a lot of other things, up to and including gasoline, from them.