SCIENTIST CAN TURN CARBON DIOXIDE BACK INTO FUEL
IN A NEW RESEARCH FROM ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY AND THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO, THE RESEARCHERS WERE ABLE TO CONVERT CARBON DIOXIDE INTO A USABLE ENERGY SOURCE USING SUNLIGHT. THEIR PROCESS IS SIMILAR TO HOW TREES GET CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE ATMOSPHERE, CONVERTING IT TO SUGARS THAT STORE ENERGY. TO MAKE CARBON DIOXIDE INTO SOMETHING THAT COULD BE A USABLE FUEL, CURTISS AND HIS COLLEAGUES NEEDED TO FIND A CATALYST WHICH IS A COMPOUND THAT COULD MAKE CARBON DIOXIDE REACT MORE READILY. WHEN CONVERTING CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE ATMOSPHERE INTO A SUGAR, PLANTS USE AN ORGANIC CATALYST CALLED AN ENZYME THE RESEARCHERS USED A METAL COMPOUND CALLED TUNGSTEN DISELENIDE TO INCREASE THE SURFACE AREA AND TO EXPOSE ITS REACTIVE EDGES.