CO2 into biofuel

Researchers at Singapore’s Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) have devised a means of transforming CO2 into the biofuel and widely used chemical methanol.

The process works by adding hydrosilane, a combination of silica and hydrogen, to CO2 in the presence of a catalyst. The product of this reaction is turned into methanol by adding water in a process called hydrolysis.

The catalyst is essential to driving the process, but the IBN researchers have found an organocatalyst – a non-metallic organic compound – to do the job. Organocatalysts have huge advantages over traditional metal-based catalysts – they are stable, easily stored, cheap to produce and do not contain toxic heavy metals.

These attributes mean that the process can transform CO2 to methanol under mild conditions in dry air.

“We hope to provide a viable alternative energy option for industry, and effective sequestration and conversion of CO2,” says lead researcher and director of IBN Jackie Y. Ying.