How_CO2 is converted into methanol

The researchers suggest redesigning the cobalt phthalocyanine catalyst to strengthen the way it interacts with CO and decrease the force with which it binds to CO₂

Researchers at the University of Michigan (U-M) have developed a catalyst material known as cobalt phthalocyanine that converts carbon dioxide, a major driver of climate change, into renewable fuels such as methanol. Published in the journal ACS Catalysis, U-M researchers studied the use of cobalt phthalocyanine as a catalyst to convert carbon dioxide into methanol through multiple reaction steps. The first step converts carbon dioxide (CO₂) into carbon monoxide (CO) and the second step converts CO into methanol. This approach presents a sustainable method to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also offering an avenue to produce clean energy. Scientists have long been trying to find a way to chemically convert CO₂ into fuels like methanol. Methanol could potentially be used to power vehicles in a more environmentally friendly way. While the conversion of CO₂ into methanol has become industrialized, achieving this large-scale transformation through electrochemical processes has proven to be a major challenge.

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