Carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere have reached record levels, reaching i 420 ppm in 2023as reported by the United Nations. To counteract the effects of excess CO2 on the global climate, it is essential not only to reduce emissions, but also to develop effective methods to capture and transform this substance into useful products. Among the emerging solutions, the innovative technology developed by MIT researchers stands out, which exploits a Teflon and copper based electrode to convert CO2 into substances such as ethylene.
MIT’s new technology is an example of cutting-edge engineering. The heart of the system is a gas diffusion electrode, composed of a water-based electrolyte solution and a catalyst material. However, design an electrode that can combine excellent electrical conductivity and hydrophobic properties proved to be a considerable challenge. After months of experimentation, the team found the optimal solution: use the PTFE (known as Teflon) to ensure hydrophobicity and supplement it with fine copper wires, woven to improve conductivity.
From CO2 to ethylene: an application with multiple industrial opportunities
The electrode developed by MIT allows carbon dioxide to be converted into ethylenea key chemical compound used in the production of fuels and plastic materials. The process, based on an electrochemical conversion, could be extended to the production of other valuable substances such as methane, methanol and carbon monoxide. Considering that the price of ethylene in 2023 was around €850 per ton according to Statista, this technology promises to have a strong economic impact, making carbon capture more advantageous compared to current storage costs, which vary between 40 and 200 €/tonneas reported by Ifri.
The first electrode prototypes, made with a size of 2.5cmhave highlighted an important correlation between the device size and its efficiency. Subsequent tests on larger electrodes showed that conductivity decreases in proportion to the scale of the system. To overcome this problem, the researchers calculated the optimal distance between copper wires, thus identifying a strategy to improve the performance of large-scale applications.
