Scientists convert untreated factory exhaust into carbon monoxide

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Scientists have converted carbon dioxide from untreated industrial exhaust into carbon monoxide, without separating and purifying the gas first, according to a study published in Nature. The system uses specially designed organic electrolytes that reduce interference from oxygen and hydrogen during the reaction. It worked with gas containing as little as 1% carbon dioxide.

The University of Adelaide says the researchers ran the process for more than 100 hours using simulated flue gas containing 15% carbon dioxide and 8% oxygen. The system converted the gas into carbon monoxide with almost complete selectivity, consuming 30.7 gigajoules per tonne produced. Carbon monoxide is used to make synthetic fuels and other chemicals. A solar-powered version reached 5.5% solar-to-fuel efficiency.