In Missouri, Washington University in St. Louis reported that researchers in the labs of Joshua Yuan, at the McKelvey School of Engineering, and Susie Dai, at the University of Missouri, used electrocatalysis of carbon dioxide to turn carbon dioxide into intermediates that are then converted by microbes into lipids, or fatty acids, and ultimately became biodiesel feedstock.
Researchers have used electrocatalysis of carbon dioxide to create an electro-biodiesel that is 45 times more efficient and uses 45 times less land than soybean-based biodiesel production.
“This novel idea can be applied to the circular economy to manufacture emission-negative fuels, chemicals, materials and food ingredients at a much higher efficiency than photosynthesis and with fewer carbon emissions than petrochemicals,” said Yuan, who began the work with Dai at Texas A&M University. “We have systemically addressed the challenges in electro-biomanufacturing by identifying the metabolic and biochemical limits of diatomic carbon use and have overcome these limits.”
The team used electrocatalysis, a type of chemical reaction initiated by electron transfers to and from reactants on surfaces of catalysts, to convert carbon dioxide into biocompatible intermediates, such as acetate and ethanol.
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Tags: biodiesel, Missouri, Washington University
Category: Research
