A group of Chinese Scientists have successfully designed a multifunctional catalyst that can convert CO2 into liquid fuels, putting us one step closer to developing clean energy.

According to the research paper published in Nature Communications, a world-renowned scientific journal, on May 2, the highly efficient, stable, and multifunctional Na–Fe3O4/HZSM-5 catalyst can directly convert CO2 to gasoline-range (C5–C11) hydrocarbons. It has exhibited a remarkable stability for 1,000 h on stream, and is believed to be a promising industrial catalyst for CO2 utilization to liquid fuels.

“This is the first report on highly selective synthesis of gasoline from direct CO2 hydrogen," Sunjian, a research fellow at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told ScienceNet.com. "Our catalyst can promote the mass production of gasoline, which can meet the national standard of environmental protection."

According to the research group, the burning of fossil fuels gives rise to huge amounts of CO2 emissions, which brings about adverse climate changes. Converting CO2 from a harmful greenhouse gas into value-added chemicals and fuels not only helps reduce CO2 emissions, but also provides valuable fuels. This enhances energy security in light of the depletion of fossil fuels and the strong fluctuation of oil prices.