This was proved in a study published in the ACS Catalysis journal by researchers from the University of Michigan, United States, who used cobalt phthalocyanine as a catalyst, first converting CO2 into carbon monoxide (CO) and then the latter substance into methanol.

According to the research, converting CO2 into methanol has become an industrialized process and “achieving this transformation on a large scale by electrochemical processes is a major challenge.

Experts found that cobalt phthalocyanine binds significantly strongly to CO2 molecules than to CO molecules, so in the first step, CO is displaced by another CO2 molecule before it can be converted into methanol.

With this new finding, a new path begins for scientists who have long been trying to find a way to chemically convert CO2 into fuels such as methanol.

“Methanol could potentially be used to power vehicles in a more environmentally friendly way,” the text added.

Given this initiative, the experts suggested to redesign the cobalt phthalocyanine catalyst to strengthen the way it interacts with CO and decrease the strength with which it binds to CO2.

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