Scientists from McGill University, one of the oldest in Canada, have discovered how to harness sunlight to transform two harmful gases, methane and carbon dioxide, into useful chemicals. In a way, this process could be considered a form of recycling harmful emissions.
The team of scientists managed to achieve this feat using a special catalyst made of gold, palladium, and gallium nitride, which, in combination with sunlight, triggers a chemical reaction that further converts methane and carbon dioxide into green methanol and carbon monoxide, both of which are highly useful in the energy and chemical industries.
A remarkable advantage of this process is that it works at room temperature and does not require high temperatures or strong chemicals, which is astounding.
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Researchers believe this discovery could help Canada achieve its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050, by converting these harmful gases into useful resources that can contribute to a sustainable future.
Given that sunlight is harnessed, and one substance is transformed into another, the comparison with photosynthesis is inevitable. Photosynthesis, a process inherent to nature, uses sunlight to turn carbon dioxide and water into food and oxygen. In both cases, solar energy plays a key role in converting harmful gases into useful products.
Transforming the most harmful chemicals into valuable ones in a sustainable way remains a question for the future, the serious application of which could reshape industrial processes.
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