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One team of researchers from the University of Southern California shows that it is possible to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and convert it directly into methanol (CH3OH). This process uses a homogenous catalyst, offering a number of benefits. They include capturing carbon dioxide and producing methanol as an alternative to fuel gasoline.

"Direct CO2 capture and conversion to methanol using molecular hydrogen in the same pot was never achieved before. We have now done it!" Surya Prakash, a co-author of the study, said in a press release.

In order to recycle carbon dioxide, scientists are treating it with hydrogen gas (H2) and methane (CH4). The more attractive option that can be used as an alternative is methanol. This can be used as a building block for larger compounds too. Hence, the chemical industry currently produces 70 million tonnes of the chemical annually.

It is important to take a good, homogenous catalyst during the CO2-to-methanol conversion process for the fast production of methanol. Still, these activities need higher temperatures and the catalyst should be decomposed.

"Developing stable homogeneous catalysts for CO2 reduction to methanol was a challenge," Prakash said. "Majority of the catalysts stopped at the formic acid stage. Furthermore, we needed a catalyst that could reduce carbamates or alkylammonium bicarbonates directly to methanol. We have achieved both with our catalyst."

Along with some additional compounds, the new catalyst enabled the team to exhibit that 79 percent of the CO2 that was captured could be turned into methanol. The current plan is to bring down the operating temperature of the catalyst so that it can be streamlined better.

"We will continue the studies to develop more robust catalysts that work around 100 to 120 °C," Prakash said. "We would like to perform the chemistry in a preparatively useful way, wherein there are no solvent or reagent losses."

The findings were published in Dec. 29,2015 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.