Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Carbon Management.

Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a novel catalyst that can convert captured carbon into acetic acid, a key industrial chemical used in the manufacture of paints, coatings, and adhesives. The process uses an electrolyzer to convert captured CO2 into carbon monoxide, which is then transformed into various molecules containing two or more carbon atoms. The new catalyst has a faradic efficiency of 91%, the highest for any multi-carbon product at a scalable current density, and is relatively stable, making it a promising alternative to traditional methods that rely on fossil fuels.