Using a new process, scientists from EPFL and two foreign universities have efficiently transformed CO₂ into acetaldehyde, a valuable chemical for industry. The substance is used in particular in the manufacture of perfumes or plastics.
Until now, acetaldehyde was made from raw materials extracted from fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas, the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne explained on Monday.
According to EPFL, the environment benefits doubly from the innovation: on the one hand, the greenhouse gas CO₂ is used instead of being released into the atmosphere and, on the other hand, the new process reduces the need for fossil fuels for the production of acetaldehyde.
Few by-products
The research team led by EPFL has developed a new copper catalyst. Instruments of this type have already proven suitable for this transformation, but until now, according to EPFL, they suffered from low selectivity. They therefore not only converted CO₂ into acetaldehyde, but produced numerous by-products at the same time.
In tests, the new catalyst converted 92% of CO₂ into the desired chemical. “The results were remarkable,” comments EPFL. In addition, the catalyst maintained its performance for several cycles and did not oxidize, even after being in contact with air.
Since acetaldehyde is a building block of many other chemicals, this research could be useful to many industries, from pharmaceuticals to agriculture, EPFL believes. Scientists from the University of Copenhagen and the University of Shanghai also participated in the development of the new catalyst.
ats/ami
Swiss
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