“CO2-to-CO conversion is currently a hot topic to address climate change, but the conventional techniques had major pitfalls that we wanted to address,” said Liu Tengyi (WPI-AIMR at Tohoku University).
“The materials were expensive, unstable, had limited selectivity, and took a long time to prepare. It just wouldn’t be feasible to use them in an actual industrial setting,” Tengyi added.
CO2 conversion method
The existing conversion methods involved a complex and time-consuming 24-hour process that included mixing conductive carbon with binders, followed by drying and heat treatment.
The researchers devised an ingenious, streamlined method utilizing easily accessible and inexpensive phthalocyanines (Pcs) – organic compounds used as pigments and dyes.
For enhanced CO2-to-CO conversion, the team tested metal-free and metal-containing Pcs versions (iron, cobalt, nickel, and copper).