Scientists at McGill University have developed a catalytic process using sunlight, capable of converting greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane into valuable chemicals like green methanol and carbon monoxide. The process relies on a method known as photo driven oxygen atom grafting, utilising a combination of gold, palladium, and gallium nitride as catalysts.
“Imagine a world where the exhaust from your car or emissions from a factory could be transformed, with the help of sunlight, into clean fuel for vehicles, the building blocks for everyday plastics, and energy stored in batteries,”
stated a Postdoctoral Fellow in McGill’s Department of Chemistry, the co-first author Hui Su. “That’s precisely the kind of transformation this new chemical process enables.”
Due to government regulation and changes in consumer/ company ethos’ in industry, especially in buying trends, this research will have genuine impact on the ability to meet Canada’s net zero target by 2050 as well as being in line with global sustainability goals. The chemical transformation, which mimics the natural process of photosynthesis, operates at room temperature, offering a greener alternative for producing fuels and other industrial materials.
One of the bi products from the process is green methanol, a more sustainable alternative to traditional fuels, reducing Carbon Dioxide emissions by up to 95%. This green methanol can be integrated into a number of applications, including energy storage and plastic production.
By using a sustainable source such as sunlight, this new method not only provides a way to recycle harmful gases but also is a genuine attempt at a cleaner, more sustainable way to transforming harmful and once wasteful emissions into a useable source of energy.
