Swiss researchers turn CO2 into an industrial chemical
Keystone-SDA
Using a new process, Swiss researchers can convert CO2 into the chemical acetaldehyde, which is valuable for industry. Acetaldehyde is used in the production of perfume and plastics, among other things.
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Until now, the chemical has been produced from raw materials obtained from fossil fuels such as crude oil or natural gas, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) explained on Monday.
According to the EPFL, this benefits the environment in two ways. On the one hand, the greenhouse gas CO2 is used instead of being released into the atmosphere, and on the other hand, the new process reduces the need for fossil fuels for acetaldehyde production.
The research team led by EPFL has developed a new copper catalyst for this purpose. Such catalysts have previously proven to be suitable for this conversion. However, according to the EPFL, they previously had to contend with low selectivity. They therefore not only converted the CO2 into acetaldehyde, but also produced many by-products at the same time.
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In the tests, the new catalyst converted 92% of the CO2 into the desired chemical. “The results were remarkable,” EPFL said in the press release. In addition, the catalyst maintained its performance over several cycles and did not oxidise even after contact with air.
As acetaldehyde is a building block for many other chemicals, this research has the potential to change numerous industries, from pharmaceuticals to agriculture, according to the university.
Translated from German by DeepL/ts
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