As cool as solar energy production and use is, its continues availability and wide scale use is hindered by the lack of highly efficient means of storage. Scientists have exploited, and continue to exploit many ideas to this regard. One of such is
the intriguing theory to reduce carbon dioxide gas to carbon monoxide gas, a process which generates energy rich materials that can be chemically coupled through other reactions into liquid fuel production.
In this light, researchers at the University of Delaware's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry lab have developed an inexpensive catalyst that uses the electricity generated from solar energy to convert carbon dioxide into synthetic fuels that can later be used to power cars, homes and businesses. Their research was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, and details how they used Bismuth, instead of the usual Gold and Silver often used in such electrocatalysts conversion reactions of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide. Bismuth is cheaper than, and more available than gold and silver (reference).
"This catalyst is a critically important linchpin,"..."Using solar energy to drive the production of liquid fuels such as gasoline from CO2 is one of the holy grails in renewable energy research. In order to do this on a practical scale, inexpensive catalysts that can convert carbon dioxide to energy-rich compounds are needed. Our discovery is important in this regard, and demonstrates that development of new catalysts and materials can solve this problem. Chemists have a big role to play in this area." says Lead scientist in this project Joel Rosenthal (reference).
Original research publication: Journal of the American Chemical Society
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