Catalyst Converts CO2 into High-Value Industrial Chemicals at Room Temperature with Record Efficiency

A research team has developed a highly efficient catalyst that directly converts carbon dioxide, a significant contributor to global warming, into 2-propanol, a high-value-added industrial product. The research was published online in Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy. Technology that converts carbon dioxide into useful chemical substances using electrical energy is one of the leading environmentally friendly methods for reducing greenhouse gases and recycling them as a resource. However, previous techniques were largely limited to the production of simple structures such as carbon monoxide or methane. Directly synthesizing 2-propanol, a complex alcohol widely used as a semiconductor cleaning agent and disinfectant, has remained a challenging technical problem.

To overcome this obstacle, a research team led by Professor Jung Kyu Kim from the Faculty of Chemical Engineering created a new mechanism based on bifurcated reaction pathways by precisely regulating the electron flow on the catalyst surface. Because these two pathways operate simultaneously, they enable the carbon atoms within carbon dioxide to bond with one another with great precision, thereby producing 2-propanol with extremely high selectivity and efficiency.

The newly developed catalyst synthesized 2-propanol with world-record-level efficiency at room temperature and ambient pressure — that is, under ambient conditions. This eliminated the need for special high-pressure equipment. In addition, the catalyst demonstrated superior durability, maintaining stable performance without degradation throughout 48 hours of continuous operation.

Professor Kim said, “This study represents a new catalyst development strategy designed to enable two different chemical reaction pathways to work cooperatively. We expect this breakthrough to significantly accelerate the commercialization of green technologies that convert waste carbon dioxide into valuable industrial raw materials.”