VATIS UPDATE Article

Researchers at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Republic of Korea, have developed a new way to turn captured carbon dioxide (CO2) into liquid biofuel capable of powering vehicles. The new catalyst is derived from delafossite, an abundant copper iron oxide mineral. Adoption of the catalyst allowed scientist to convert CO2 and H2 into fuel in a single step. Researchers have detailed their newly developed process in the journal Applied Catalysis B: Environmental.

“Diesel fuels have longer chain of carbon and hydrogen atoms, compared to mathanol and methane. Using delafossite-CuFeO2 as the catalyst precursor, we can create longer carbon chains and this would allow for the production of diesel,” said Yo Han Choi, at UNIST. Researchers derived their new conversion process from one developed by German carmaker Audi, and improves on a process called CO Fisher-Tropsch synthesis.

Scientists said that the new process can be used to clean the air and provide alternative fuel. The CO2 can be provided by carbon capture technologies, while H2 can be sourced from solar water splitting waste.