Scientists Accidentally Turn CO2 Into A Useful Fuel

dirge Sat Oct 29, 2016 4:12 pm

From the Big Bang and radioactivity to microwaves and penicillin, history is full of serendipitous discoveries. Earlier this week, scientists at the US Department of Energy announced an accidental breakthrough of their own – a simple way to turn CO2 into fuel. After devising a long-winded reverse-combustion process, the team realised that the first stage of the reaction turned the gas into ethanol, a useful fuel.

“We’re taking carbon dioxide, a waste product of combustion, and we’re pushing that combustion reaction backwards with very high selectivity to a useful fuel,” said Adam Rondinone, lead author of the study. “Ethanol was a surprise – it’s extremely difficult to go straight from carbon dioxide to ethanol with a single catalyst,” Rondinone added. The catalyst’s hidden weapon is a nanoscale structure made of copper nanoparticles on carbon spikes.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/scientists-accidentally-turn-co2-into-a-useful-fuel_uk_58063543e4b0dcd0298fe904

Thomas Covenant Sun Oct 30, 2016 12:40 am

you would be screwed if they fitted one of those in a breathalyser wouldnt you ROFL

Scientists Accidentally Turn CO2 Into A Useful Fuel

Scientists Accidentally Turn CO2 Into A Useful Fuel

Re: Scientists Accidentally Turn CO2 Into A Useful Fuel