Alternative energy and fuel generation that would be safe for the environment and high quality, sometimes forcing scientists to come up with very elegant ways of getting. For example, Korean researchers recently unveiled a technology to produce fuel from air. This is not a figure of speech, but the real technology described in the journal Nature Communications.
Group of chemists from South Korea have created a nanomaterial that is able to convert atmospheric carbon dioxide into methane, using only the energy of sunlight. As stated by one of the authors of the study, Junjun sung from KAIST Institute,
“Our catalyst is difficult to compare with other types of such nanoparticles, since all such experiments were carried out in very different conditions. However, we can already say that he has a record of high level of activity and efficiency, and in some cases outperforms the competition. Other similar catalysts created in the last years, have two large disadvantages, not allowing them to apply their work speed is often very low, and faster catalysts are usually unstable, and have to be cleaned after a few hours of use. In addition they have a relatively low efficiency”.
The invention of South Korean experts is devoid of these shortcomings. In the course of the experiments on nanoparticles of zinc oxide and combine them with other nanomaterials, the scientists watched changes in their chemical and optical properties. In the course of these experiments we found out that the combination of nanoparticles of zinc oxide and copper oxide actively absorb CO2 molecules, break down and turn carbon dioxide into methane under water with good lighting. In addition, these nanoparticles are not destroyed and will not become contaminated during prolonged use.
Experts now aim to further study and improve the technology in order to increase the efficiency of the reactor and to establish the production of industrial installations for obtaining a virtually inexhaustible source of energy.
Based on materials of RIA “news”
Scientists have turned the air in the fuel
Vladimir Kuznetsov