Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have developed a photocatalytic material which will help in converting the carbon dioxide (CO₂) into methanol fuel with the help of sunlight. This process addresses one of the most concerning challenges of meeting the requirements without harming the atmosphere and environment. This process was led by Mahuya De who is a Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, along with her research scholar Nayan Moni Baishya, the findings for the same have been published in the Journal of Materials Science.
Mahuya De has appreciated the team behind this process, he has mentioned "The dependence on the petroleum-based fuels continues to be a source of CO₂ emissions, causing environmental or atmosphere stress and global warming. To address this, scientists are working on designing photocatalytic methods to convert carbon dioxide into clean fuels”.
The researchers from all around the world have been working on tackling this important challenge by utilising graphitic carbon nitride, a low-cost, non-toxic material. However, due to various limitations which include rapid energy loss and low fuel generation, as of now no permanent solution has been found out. To overcome this crucial challenge, the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati research team combined graphitic carbon nitride with very few layers of graphene. It is known for its electrical conductivity and energy transfer abilities which is an ultra-thin carbon material that helps in minimizing the process of energy loss within the catalyst.
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The professor at Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati Mahuya De mentioned, “The present work is expected to contribute towards mitigating environmental problems with contribution towards green energy. Converting Carbon dioxide to greener fuel using solar energy.” The technology developed by the IIT Guwahati team of researchers holds the potential to be used in industries related to thermal power plants, steel production facilities, cement manufacturing units and petrochemical refineries, all this will support the transition towards a circular carbon economy and a cleaner and advanced future.
According to the next step, the research team at Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati aims to scale the technology for practical uses and references. They are also planning a long-lasting photocatalytic system for this.