Researchers Say Silver, Gold. Copper Crucial to Carbon Capture Efforts

Chemists at Tsinghua University have designed a nanoscale structure that combines silver, gold and copper to work as a catalyst in a reaction where the performance will be important if efforts to capture carbon in order to help moderate global warming are a success.

The researchers explained that they placed their focus on the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction, which is a chemical reaction that uses electricity to power the conversion of gas into other useful substances through the separation of carbon dioxide’s carbon atoms from oxygen atoms.

The key to the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction is using the right chemical substance or catalyst whose charge and structure allow it to speed up or kick off a chemical reaction. A number of metals can be used as catalysts depending on the end product that one desires. Catalysts that employ the use of a single type of metal include copper to produce ethanol, ethylene or methane; silver for carbon monoxide; and tin for formic acid.

However, when the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction competes with hydrogen atoms trying to join themselves instead of pairing up with carbon atoms, an undesired chemical end product may be produced. To avoid this, the researchers began to look into structures that incorporated a pair of metals whose combined properties produced superior or different outcomes.

In a media statement, study’s coauthor Zhicheng Zhang stated that the researchers were focused on producing a superior structure using three metals. The researchers built a trimetallic nanostructure that was asymmetric in form and that combined copper, silver and gold. The price ratio and shape of the trio of metals can be modified through a growth technique that involves a number of steps.

The researchers used gold nanopyramids that were first synthesized and used for the growth of different trimetallic structures, which involve different ratios of copper, silver and gold. They discovered that they could adjust the selectivity toward a number of CO2-based products by adjusting the ratios of the metals used, noting that this was made possible because of the structure of their heterostructure design. For instance, they maximized the production of ethanol through the use of a heterostructure with the feeding ratio, which involved five copper atoms, one atom of silver and one atom of gold.

In their report, the researchers note that their study outlines a promising strategy for the development of trimetallic nanomaterials within electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction development. The team’s research was reported in the “Nano Research” journal.

As precious metals find new applications in the race to net-zero, extractors such as StraightUp Resources Inc. (CSE: ST) (OTCQB: STUPF) will have more clients to serve and deliver greater value to their shareholders.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to StraightUp Resources Inc. (CSE: ST) (OTCQB: STUPF) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/STUPF

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