Inexpensive catalyist conversion of carbon dioxide to ethanol?

[solarbird]

This is very definitely one of those "please let this hold up" science stories. Popular Mechanics jumps the gun a bit in that - according to the authors - this is "probably" not economically viable yet, but there's also a big question about what the authors consider economic viability.

From the paper online here:

We report an electrocatalyst which operates at room temperature and in water for the electroreduction of dissolved CO2 with high selectivity for ethanol. The overpotential (which might be lowered with the proper electrolyte, and by separating the hydrogen production to another catalyst) probably precludes economic viability for this catalyst, but the high selectivity for a 12-electron reaction suggests that nanostructured surfaces with multiple reactive sites in close proximity can yield novel reaction mechanisms.

Bold added.

Comments

[vatine]

I guess it would depend on plant size and the like, but this, hooked up to a photo-voltaic array, could be a "slow but steady" CO2 scrubber for the general atmosphere. Probably too little, too late, though. :/

[arethinn]

I wonder what one would do with the ethanol so obtained? I don't know what quantities we'd be talking about here.

[stickmaker]

So it not only saves the planet, but provided free booze to celebrate?