Scientists achieve direct electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide, raising hopes for smart carbon capture

Chemists at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) have proposed an innovative way to achieve carbon capture using a rhenium-based electrocatalytic system that is capable of reducing low-concentration CO₂ (even 1 percent) with high selectivity and durability, which could potentially enable direct utilization of CO₂ in exhaust gases from heavy industries.

Scientists are closer to finding effective ways to reduce CO₂ levels—a vital part of responding to climate change and energy efficiency challenges.

A study led by Osamu Ishitani of the Department of Chemistry, Tokyo Tech now demonstrates the advantages of applying electrocatalysis to capture low-concentration CO₂.

In their study published in Chemical Science, Ishitani and colleagues including Hiromu Kumagai and Tetsuya Nishikawa drew on decades of work on honing the capabilities of a rhenium-based catalyst, and demonstrated its ability to reduce low-concentration CO₂ in the presence of a chemical called triethanolamine (TEOA).

Compared to many previous studies that have focused on reducing pure CO₂, few have explored how to improve direct capture of low-concentration CO₂—a topic that warrants further investigation, considering that plants harness low concentrations of CO₂ (about 400 ppm, that is 0.04 percent of the atmosphere) and exhaust gases from heavy industries typically contain low levels of CO₂ (around 3-13 percent).

By avoiding the need for additional energy-consuming condensation processes, their strategy, if scaled up, could provide a more viable, environmentally friendly solution to CO₂ capture in many settings.

In a series of experiments to assess electrocatalytic activity, the researchers found that at a CO₂ concentration of 1 percent, the rhenium-based catalyst showed very high selectivity (94 percent) towards carbon monoxide (CO) formation.

A likely reason behind the high performance, the researchers say, is the efficient insertion of CO₂ into the rhenium-oxygen bond.

The researchers aim to continue systematically investigating promising strategies to help reduce real-world CO₂ levels.