A group of researchers from EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) together with scientists from ICIQ (Chemical Research Institute of Catalonia), NTU (National Taiwan University) and DTU (Technical University of Denmark) developed a new catalyst allowing for converting carbon dioxide (CO₂) into carbon oxide – a valuable chemical compound widely used for industrial applications. As per the preliminary evaluation, implementation of this technology may reduce the production costs in certain sectors by 60–80%.
The catalyst was created using sol-gel method, when metallic salts are mixed with organic substances forming ultrafine particles encapsulated into tough ceramic jacket. After testing different combinations, the researches opted for the balanced mixture of cobalt and nickel (Co-Ni) encapsulated into ceramic matrix of cerium oxide (CeO₂) doped with samarium oxide (Sm₂O₃). This structure prevents sintering, i.e., adhesion of metallic particles, thus allowing for the catalyst to preserve activity, to operate reliably under high temperatures and to withstand continuous loads without losing the efficiency.
During the pilot testing, the catalyst demonstrated excellent performance. The energy efficiency of the reaction was 90%, i.e., almost all the electric power was spent on converting CO₂ into carbon oxide without material losses for secondary processes.
The selectivity of the reaction was 100%, i.e., only the target product (carbon oxide) was generated without unnecessary auxiliary compounds normally requiring additional treatment or disposal.
On top of that, the catalyst preserved its activity for over 2,000 hours, which corresponds to almost three months of continuous operation – a record among similar technologies.
This development opens the way to creating industrial units capable not only of capturing CO₂, but simultaneously converting it into useful materials. An international patent application has been filed for this technology.
