Hailiang Wang, a professor of chemistry at Yale University, has led a study that outlines a new route for turning carbon dioxide into complex carbohydrates using electricity and controlled chemical reactions. Working with collaborators at the University of California, Berkeley, Wang and his team have demonstrated a two step process that converts CO₂ from the air into multi carbon sugar molecules, offering a different way to think about carbon utilization and sustainability.
Li, J., Chen, K., Soland, N. E., Yang, J., Gao, Y., Cheon, S., Su, Y., Yang, P., & Wang, H. (2026). Artificial synthesis of carbohydrates from electrochemically fixed carbon dioxide. Nature Synthesis. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44160-025-00961-x
Most research on carbon dioxide conversion has focused on relatively simple products such as carbon monoxide, methanol, or formate, which can be used as fuels or industrial intermediates. In this work, the researchers deliberately aimed for higher molecular complexity. Carbohydrates, which typically contain five or six carbon atoms, are central to biological systems and are widely used in agriculture, food production, and biotechnology. Producing them directly from carbon dioxide without relying on living organisms represents a significant shift in approach.
Hailiang Wang, a professor of chemistry at Yale University stated,
“Formaldehyde is so reactive, it is challenging to work with, but we’ve been able to stabilize it.”
The process begins with an electrochemical reaction that reduces carbon dioxide using renewable electricity. Under standard conditions, this reaction can proceed until methanol is formed. The researchers instead interrupt the process at an earlier stage when formaldehyde is produced. Formaldehyde is highly reactive and difficult to manage, which has limited its usefulness as an intermediate in previous studies. To address this, the team converts it into hydroxymethanesulfonate, a more stable compound that resists further reduction and can be handled reliably.
This stabilized intermediate is then subjected to a separate thermochemical reaction that links carbon units together to form longer chain carbohydrates. By separating the electrochemical and thermal steps, the researchers are able to control each stage independently, allowing them to guide the chemistry toward sugar like products rather than smaller molecules. The result is an artificial pathway that mirrors some outcomes of natural carbon fixation while relying entirely on synthetic chemistry.
From an engineering standpoint, the modular design of the process is important. The electrochemical stage can be powered by renewable electricity, while the downstream chemical conversion can be optimized for efficiency or selectivity without altering the initial carbon capture step. This separation also makes it easier to adapt the system to different end products, depending on whether the goal is agricultural inputs, chemical feedstocks, or molecules for pharmaceutical research.
The environmental motivation behind the work is clear, but the researchers emphasize that the study is a proof of concept rather than a ready made solution to climate change. The overall benefit depends on factors such as scale, energy source, and how the resulting carbohydrates are ultimately used. If incorporated into long lived materials, the carbon could remain stored for extended periods. If rapidly consumed or degraded, the climate impact would be more limited.
Beyond carbon removal, the study reflects a broader trend in sustainable chemistry that treats carbon dioxide as a resource rather than only as waste. By showing that it can be converted into complex, biologically relevant molecules, Wang and his colleagues expand the design space for carbon based manufacturing. Their results suggest that future carbon management strategies may combine capture with chemical upgrading, linking environmental goals with the production of useful materials.
Adrian graduated with a Masters Degree (1st Class Honours) in Chemical Engineering from Chester University along with Harris. His master’s research aimed to develop a standardadised clean water oxygenation transfer procedure to test bubble diffusers that are currently used in the wastewater industry commercial market. He has also undergone placments in both US and China primarely focused within the R&D department and is an associate member of the Institute of Chemical Engineers (IChemE).
