The McGill catalyst employs tiny bits of copper known at nanoclusters to convert CO2 into methane, a cleaner source of energy.<\/p>\n
Whereas traditional methods of generating methane from fossil fuels add more CO2 to the atmosphere, the new electrocatalysis process does not.<\/p>\n
The innovation could prove pivotal in reaping the benefits of renewable energy as the planet strives towards a green future.<\/p>\n
Mahdi Salehi, PhD, a candidate at the Electrocatalysis Lab at McGill University, explained: \u201cOn sunny days, you can use solar power, or when it\u2019s a windy day, you can use that wind to produce renewable electricity, but as soon as you produce that electricity you need to use it.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut in our case, we can use that renewable but intermittent electricity to store the energy in chemicals like methane.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carbon emissions, primarily in the form of CO2, are a significant driver of climate change<\/a>.<\/p>\n These emissions are largely produced by human activities such as burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas), deforestation, and various industrial processes.<\/p>\n When CO2 is released into the atmosphere, it acts as a greenhouse gas, trapping heat that would otherwise escape into space. This process, known as the greenhouse effect, leads to an overall warming of the planet.<\/p>\n The increased concentration of CO2 and other greenhouse gases enhances this natural greenhouse effect, causing global temperatures to rise.<\/p>\n This warming influences weather patterns, leading to more extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and disruptions to ecosystems.<\/p>\n Reducing carbon emissions is crucial to mitigating these impacts, with advanced methods of capturing and converting CO2<\/a> into valuable, clean energy sources being vital in mitigating the climate crisis.<\/p>\nA closed-loop method for CO2 conversion<\/h3>\n