An important study in the conversion of greenhouse gases into green fuels comes from Friuli Venezia Giulia, where an interdisciplinary research team has developed new catalysts capable of transforming methane into methanol, a fundamental process in the energy transition. This result was the fruit of collaboration between the National Research Council with the Istituto Officina dei Materiali of Trieste (Cnr-IOM), the University of Udine, the University of Trieste, Elettra Sincrotrone and Area Science Park.
Described in the international scientific journal “Small“the innovative approach focuses on the Direct conversion of methane to methanol using a new low-cost material based on Cerium and Copper. This process avoids the use of additional solvents and expensive steps, simply using mechanical force to modify the structure of the starting material, making it more efficient.”The possibility of synthesize innovative materials at low cost, avoiding the use of additional solvents and expensive steps in the preparation phase: this technology simply exploits the mechanical force that modifies the structure of the materialand starting point and makes it more efficient in transforming methane into other molecules“, explain Silvia Mauri, researcher at Cnr-Istituto Officina dei Materiali and Rudy Calligaro, researcher at the University of Udine, both authors of the work. “The result was twofold: on the one hand, having identified a promising material for the catalysis process, on the other, having implemented our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of these materials. This was possible thanks to the use of advanced techniques using synchrotron light, combined with the computing power available today. In this way, it will now be easier and faster to further improve the design and use of these catalysts
“.
The study therefore has important implications in supporting the process of energy transition imposed by the consequences of global warming: “Methane is a precious resource and its valorization represents an important challenge in heterogeneous catalysis: for this reason the scientific community around the world is concentrating its efforts on the search for new materials that facilitate the transformation processes into products that can be used in a more sustainable way
“, adds Luca Braglia of Area Science Park. “This fundamental study identifies a new class of catalysts prepared in a more economically and environmentally sustainable way, and confirms how the simultaneous use of multiple advanced techniques and interdisciplinary skills is necessary to identify and develop new materials and technologies to support the ecological transition
“.
Photo Elettra_Sincrotrone_Credits_Massimo_Goina_bassaris
