VCU researchers have discovered an effective catalyst for the thermochemical conversion of carbon dioxide to formic acid — a discovery that could provide a new carbon capture strategy that can be scaled back as the world grapples with climate change. A potentially important agent for atmospheric carbon dioxide.
        “It is well known that the rapid growth of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and their detrimental effects on the environment is one of the major challenges facing humanity today,” said lead author Dr. Shiv N. Khanna, Commonwealth Professor Emeritus in the department. physics at the Faculty of Humanities VCU. “The catalytic conversion of CO2 to useful chemicals such as formic acid (HCOOH) is a cost-effective alternative strategy to mitigate the adverse effects of CO2. Formic acid is a low toxicity liquid that is easy to transport and store at ambient temperature. It can also be used as a high value-added chemical precursor, hydrogen storage carrier, and a possible future fossil fuel substitute.”
        Hanna and VCU research physicist Dr. Turbasu Sengupta found that bound clusters of metal chalcogenides can act as catalysts for the thermochemical conversion of CO2 to formic acid. Their results are described in a paper titled “Conversion of CO2 to Formic Acid by Tuning Quantum States in Metal Chalcogenide Clusters” published in Communications Chemistry of Nature Portfolio.
        “We have shown that, with the right combination of ligands, the reaction barrier to converting CO2 to formic acid can be significantly lowered, greatly speeding up the production of formic acid,” Hanna said. “So we would say that these claimed catalysts could make the synthesis of formic acid easier or more feasible. The use of larger clusters with more ligand binding sites or by attaching more efficient donor ligands is in line with our further improvements in formic acid conversion can be achieved over what is shown in the computational simulations.”
       The study builds on Hanna’s previous work showing that the right choice of ligand can turn a cluster into a superdonor that donates electrons or an acceptor that accepts electrons.
        “Now we show that the same effect has great potential in catalysis based on metal chalcogenide clusters,” Hanna says. “The ability to synthesize stable bonded clusters and control their ability to donate or accept electrons opens up a new field of catalysis, since most catalytic reactions depend on catalysts that donate or accept electrons.”
       One of the first experimental scientists in the field, Dr. Xavier Roy, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Columbia University, will visit VCU on April 7 for the Physics Department Spring Symposium.
        “We will be working with him to see how we can develop and implement a similar catalyst using his experimental lab,” Hanna said. “We have already worked closely with his group, where they synthesized a new type of magnetic material. This time he will be the catalyst.”
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