""The technology to convert carbon monoxide (Carbon Monoxide, in this case, obtained by "cracking" Carbon Dioxide with solar energy- JtM) into liquid fuel has been around a long time," said Kubiak. "It was invented in Germany (for converting coal into liquid fuels - JtM) in the 1920s. The U.S. was very interested in the technology during the 1970s energy crisis, but when the energy crisis ended people lost interest. Now things have come full circle because rising fuel prices make it economically competitive to convert CO into fuel.""
(Referencing the highlighted passages: Coal conversion technology can recycle Carbon Dioxide. - JtM)
"The device designed by Kubiak and Sathrum to split carbon dioxide utilizes a semiconductor and two thin layers of catalysts. It splits carbon dioxide to generate carbon monoxide and oxygen in a three-step process. The first step is the capture of solar energy photons by the semiconductor. The second step is the conversion of optical energy into electrical energy by the semiconductor. The third step is the deployment of electrical energy to the catalysts. The catalysts convert carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide on one side of the device and to oxygen on the other side."
As we noted in a previous dispatch, when explaining the electro-reduction of CO2, as practiced by Mantra, et. al., there are a number of effective, and efficient, ways to "crack" Carbon Dioxide into it's useful bits, just as there are a number of well-established, proven ways to "crack" coal - as there also long have been with petroleum.