The most dangerous gas on the planet gas been transformed into energy with an extreme project that has the world on tenterhooks. The high environmental footprint of fossil fuels is forcing human beings to seek new forms of supply. In this search, several countries have surprised with their bets, as is the case of Germany and its curious energy available for millennia. All renewable energy sources tend to move between two extremes: either they generate too much energy or they fall short.

For this reason, more and more experts are coming up with innovative ideas to fill the energy gap. Hundreds of countries are already immersed in a clean energy policy. However, there is still a long way to go to achieve the decoupling of human beings from fossil fuels. Although environmentally friendly energies are on the way, there are still many industrial sectors in which fossil fuels are the “kings”.

Renewable energies, the most sought after and seen as the saviors of the planet at the moment, are a type of energy derived from renewable sources (such as sunlight or wind). They are naturally replenished before they are consumed. They are abundant and available everywhere in the world, according to the United Nations (UN). Because of their intermittent nature, a group of researchers has decided to use a hazardous gas to meet the energy demand. The aim is to convert a hazardous substance into a suitable solution capable of replacing fossil fuels, but will they succeed?

The most dangerous gas is transformed into energy

A group of Canadian researchers (McGill University) has invented a new process to convert carbon dioxide and methane into carbon monoxide and green methanol by exposing them to sunlight. They harness sunlight to convert two of the most harmful greenhouse gases into valuable chemicals. This discovery could be a viable solution against climate change and provide a more sustainable alternative for the production of certain industrial products.

The process used was inspired by nature, specifically photosynthesis, but employing a catalyst of gold, palladium and gallium nitride. It works at room temperature without the need for extreme heat or aggressive chemicals. The result is a positive impact, reducing polluting gases and moving toward net-zero emissions.

According to Hui Su, co-lead author and postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Chemistry at McGill University, this procedure harbors the ability to convert methane and carbon dioxide into green methanol and carbon monoxide in a single reaction. Both products are highly valued in the chemical and energy sectors, leading this system to be an important opportunity to advance the sustainable field.

The researchers’ study was published in Nature Communications and compiles a revolutionary mechanism based on photosynthesis. A unique combination of gold, palladium and gallium nitride acts as a catalyst. When this catalyst is exposed to sunlight, it triggers a reaction in which an oxygen atom from carbon dioxide is bound to a methane molecule and generates green methanol. The by-product of this process is carbon monoxide.

Transforming the most dangerous gas on the planet into energy

This system recycles two of the most dangerous greenhouse gases and is carried out at room temperature, without resorting to extreme heat or aggressive chemicals, making it more efficient and less polluting than other methods.

In conclusion, the most dangerous gas on the planet has been converted into energy with this process that the world is watching closely to see how far it will go. A process almost as striking as that of Greece, which is producing energy with water and sun.