New lab to focus on creating sustainable energy source

gm349 — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:42:59 +0000

A state-of-the-art laboratory, which aims to use sunlight to power the sustainable conversion of CO₂ and water to form syngas, a high-energy gas mixture with potential as a future fuel source, opened this week in the Department of Chemistry.

̽��ֱ��Christian Doppler laboratory for Sustainable SynGas Chemistry will address application-oriented basic research questions to facilitate the creation of a sustainable carbon-based economy. It is jointly funded by the Austrian Christian Doppler Research Association (Federal Ministry of Economy, Family and Youth & the National Foundation for Research, Technology and Development) and the OMV Group for a period of seven years.

̽��ֱ��lab will research ways to use light from the sun to power the sustainable conversion of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and water to form syngas, a high-energy gas mixture containing hydrogen, H₂ (an attractive fuel on its own), and carbon monoxide, CO. Syngas is a valuable gas mixture and, importantly, it can be transformed into liquid hydrocarbons ('gasoline'), also known as liquid fuels.

Despite its potential as a future fuel source, syngas is already used as an invaluable chemical feedstock for the petrochemical industry, as an intermediate for the production of many chemicals such as H₂, methanol and ammonia. Unfortunately, current production of syngas is non-renewable; it is produced on a mega-ton scale by the energy-intensive steam reforming of fossil fuels, and subsequent H₂ to CO ratio adjustment by the water-gas shift reaction. This unsustainable process yields fuel cell grade H₂ and the greenhouse gas CO₂.

Dr Erwin Reisner, Head of the Christian Doppler Laboratory, said: “ ̽��ֱ��approach of the new laboratory aims to develop the basic principles to allow for a renewable production of syngas. Our long-term vision is a transition from a fossil-based to a sustainable carbon-based economy.”

̽��ֱ��CD-laboratory will focus on developing molecular catalysts, which will ultimately be integrated in nanostructured materials for syngas generation. This approach will allow for the assembly of a small-scale device for solar syngas production. ̽��ֱ��CD-laboratory will operate with an exceptional cross-disciplinary approach at the interface of bio-inspired molecular and materials synthesis, advanced electrochemistry, photochemistry and nanodevice engineering. ̽��ֱ��proposed research project combines a high degree of novelty with potentially enormous impact on academic science, industry and society.

̽��ֱ��Christian Doppler Research Association is a non-profit organization that supports basic science and technology to economically relevant questions. ̽��ֱ��OMV Group is an Austrian-based oil refining company with important global activities.

Research will explore using sunlight to convert greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and water to syngas, the precursor to liquid fuel.

̽��ֱ��approach of the new laboratory aims to develop the basic principles to allow for a renewable production of syngas. Our long-term vision is a transition from a fossil-based to a sustainable carbon-based economy.

Dr Erwin Reisner, Head of the Christian Doppler Laborator

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̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge - Christian Doppler Research Association

New lab to focus on creating sustainable energy source