Researchers recently utilized the Canadian Light Source, at the University of Saskatchewan, to find an affordable and efficient way to transform carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals.

Dr. Zhongwei Chen, Canada Research Chair in Advanced Materials for Clean Energy, and Professor at the University of Waterloo, says they have created a unique electrocatalyst which helps to collect CO2 pollution and convert it into more valuable carbon monoxide gas. Usually expensive, precious metals, are used in this process but Chen says they were able to introduce titanium into their design, with help from the CLS. He says it allowed them to create a unique nano-structure, or better design, which improves the activity, selectivity and stability of the catalyst.

Dr. Chen says the beamline and researchers at the CLS were instrumental in being able to design a better catalyst. Dr. Chen explains, the aim is to use this very efficient, low cost procedure to create carbon monoxide gas for industrial applications or to allow renewable fuels and chemicals to be manufactured more readily.

The end goal and next steps, Chen says, will be to neutralize greenhouse gases by scaling up their design for use beyond the lab.