Could CO2 become the car fuel of the future?

The University of Bath, the University of Bristol and the University of West of England recently received £1.4 million in funding from the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to develop a method to capture atmospheric CO2 and transform it into fuel that will power cars in the future.

 The team of scientists includes chemists, chemical engineers, biologists and life-cycle analysts who will work together on the creation of an innovative technology that will absorb carbon dioxide from the air and then convert it, chemically, to a state that would permit fuel to be produced from it.

Such would be an effective system for reducing carbon emissions and providing a green car fuel alternative, eliminating the need for additional fossil fuels, oil, coal and natural gas.

This, however, is not an unknown process, as in nature, trees and algae uses CO₂ in unlocking the chemical energy inside their molecules to power metabolic processes.

The idea here is to convert CO₂ into carbon monoxide (CO) by removing one of the oxygen atoms. After obtaining CO, the process of producing hydrocarbon fuels, such as petrol, is much simpler.
But the subsequent conversion of CO₂ into fuel requires a lot of energy – the key challenge is to find an efficient way of doing it.

Researchers are trying to develop porous materials that could absorb CO₂ from the air. These porous materials would be part of the factory’s chimneys, which would absorb carbon dioxide and ultimately reduce the effects of climate change.

See more: http://www.energetika.net/eu/novice/articles/could-co2-become-the-car-fuel-of-the-future