Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas and many people have a negative impression of it. Japanese researchers have recently developed a new technology that will allow carbon dioxide to be converted into carbon resources used to synthesize plastics and drugs, thus turning it into a “harmâ€. Related papers have been published in the new issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
The chemical properties of carbon dioxide are very stable and it is not easy to react with other substances. Therefore, it is only used for the production of urea and polycarbonate in the industrial field. Professor Yoshihide Iwasawa of Tokyo Institute of Technology discovered that carbon compounds can be combined with carbon dioxide after treatment to form new carbon materials.
The researchers added aluminum compounds to the carbon compounds that were combined with the cesium, making it easier for the carbon compounds in the carbon compounds to be disconnected, so that they could be combined with carbon dioxide to form new carbon materials, which are of great use. Can be used to synthesize plastics and drugs. For example, acrylic acid can be synthesized from a resin produced by the reaction of ethylene (a carbon compound) and carbon dioxide. The researchers said that this not only effectively uses carbon dioxide, but also reduces the use of petroleum products.
At this stage, the technology is costly because aluminum compounds are added to promote the reaction. Iwasaki Shinji pointed out: "I hope that in the future we will not need to use aluminum compounds and we will promote reactions through light energy. We will strive to make this technology practical after 10 years."
The chemical properties of carbon dioxide are very stable and it is not easy to react with other substances. Therefore, it is only used for the production of urea and polycarbonate in the industrial field. Professor Yoshihide Iwasawa of Tokyo Institute of Technology discovered that carbon compounds can be combined with carbon dioxide after treatment to form new carbon materials.
The researchers added aluminum compounds to the carbon compounds that were combined with the cesium, making it easier for the carbon compounds in the carbon compounds to be disconnected, so that they could be combined with carbon dioxide to form new carbon materials, which are of great use. Can be used to synthesize plastics and drugs. For example, acrylic acid can be synthesized from a resin produced by the reaction of ethylene (a carbon compound) and carbon dioxide. The researchers said that this not only effectively uses carbon dioxide, but also reduces the use of petroleum products.
At this stage, the technology is costly because aluminum compounds are added to promote the reaction. Iwasaki Shinji pointed out: "I hope that in the future we will not need to use aluminum compounds and we will promote reactions through light energy. We will strive to make this technology practical after 10 years."