{"id":102355,"date":"2024-10-04T15:17:39","date_gmt":"2024-10-04T13:17:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sonnenseite.com\/?p=102355"},"modified":"2024-10-04T15:17:40","modified_gmt":"2024-10-04T13:17:40","slug":"innovative-catalyst-produces-methane-using-electricity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sonnenseite.com\/en\/science\/innovative-catalyst-produces-methane-using-electricity\/","title":{"rendered":"Innovative catalyst produces methane using electricity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Researchers at the University of Bonn and University of Montreal have developed a new type of catalyst and used it in their study to produce methane out of carbon dioxide and water in a highly efficient way using electricity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Methane can be used, for example, to heat apartments or as a starting material in the chemical industry. It is also the main component of natural gas. If it is produced using green electricity, however, it is largely climate neutral. The insights gained from the model system studied by the researchers can be transferred to large-scale technical catalysts. The system could also be used to produce other important chemical compounds. The study was recently published in the prestigious journal \u201cNature Chemistry.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Nikolay<\/a>
\u00a9 Nikolay Kornienko | The hydrophobic molecular catalyst (bottom) – keeps the H2O molecules in the electrolyzer (top) away from the active center. At the same time, it removes hydrogen atoms from water molecules and transports them to the active center, where they react with the carbon atom to form methane.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Many chemical reactions require energy to get started and this energy can be added by, for example, heating the reaction partners or subjecting them to high pressure. \u201cWe used electricity as the driving force instead,\u201d explains Prof. Dr. Nikolay Kornienko. \u201cBy using climate friendly electricity, we can produce, for example, methane that doesn\u2019t contribute to global warming.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The researcher recently moved from the University of Montreal to the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Bonn. He started his latest study while still in Canada and concluded it in his new home. \u201cThe production of methane \u2013 which has the chemical formula CH4 \u2013 is challenging because it is necessary to carry out a reaction between a gas and a liquid,\u201d says Kornienko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this case, we are talking about carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). The researchers used a gas diffusion electrode to bring these two partners together. In the reaction, it is necessary to separate the two oxygen atoms (chemical symbol: O) from the carbon atom (C) and replace them with four hydrogen atoms (H). The hydrogen is sourced from the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preventing side reactions<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The problem with this process is that water would much rather undergo another reaction and will split into hydrogen and oxygen as soon as it is exposed to an electric current. \u201cThis is a competing reaction that we have to avoid,\u201d emphasizes Kornienko\u2019s assistant Morgan McKee, who carried out a large proportion of the experiments. \u201cOtherwise, it would stop us producing any methane. Therefore, we have to prevent the water coming into contact with the electrode. At the same time, we still need the water as a reaction partner.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where the newly developed catalyst \u2013 which is deposited onto the electrode \u2013 comes into play. It ensures above all that the carbon dioxide reacts more readily and quickly to produce methane. It achieves this with its so-called \u201cactive center\u201d that holds the carbon dioxide and \u2013 in simple terms \u2013 also weakens the bonds between the carbon atom and the two oxygen atoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These oxygen atoms are then gradually replaced by four hydrogen atoms in the next step. The catalyst needs water at this stage of the process. However, it also has to keep it at a distance to avoid any undesired side reactions. \u201cIn order to achieve this, we bound long molecular side chains to the active center,\u201d explains Prof. Kornienko, who is also a member of the Transdisciplinary Research Area \u201cMatter\u201d at the University of Bonn. \u201cTheir chemical structure repels water or, in other words, they are hydrophobic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water-fearing molecular chains<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This specialist term comes from Greek and literally means \u201chaving a fear of water.\u201d The side chains not only keep the H2O molecules away from the active center and the electrode but they also act as a sort of conveyor belt. Figuratively speaking, they snatch hydrogen atoms from the water molecules and transport them to the active center, where they react with the carbon atom. In this way, the CO2 is converted into CH4 in several steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This process has an efficiency of more than 80 percent and the reaction produces hardly any undesired side products as a result. Nevertheless, the catalyst is not really suitable for the large-scale production of methane. \u201cThe reaction principles we have achieved with this catalyst could, however, be realized in other catalyst materials for use in large-scale technical applications,\u201d says Kornienko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The researcher believes that methane production is not the only area of application for this method. In his opinion, it could prove more lucrative in the production of other chemical compounds such as ethylene, which is used as the starting material for many plastics. In the medium term, the new catalyst method could thus be used where possible to make plastic production more environmentally friendly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n