An international scientific research team found that the addition of polyacrylamide coating on the surface of copper foil catalysts can significantly increase the efficiency of carbon dioxide production from ethylene, which helps to develop 'green' plastic production technology.
Ethylene is one of the basic chemical raw materials used to synthesize plastics, fibers, and other materials. It is usually produced from oil or natural gas. The use of carbon dioxide for the production of ethylene under the influence of electricity and catalysts can not only reduce the use of fossil fuels, but also consume carbon dioxide. Helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and curb global warming. However, prior art related technologies have mostly low reaction efficiency and are not suitable for industrial applications.
A team of researchers from Swansea University in the United Kingdom and their counterparts in the United States published a paper in the new issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society·Catalysis. They tried to add different polymer coatings on the surface of a copper foil as a catalyst. Copper foil with a polyacrylamide coating converts 26% of the carbon dioxide to ethylene, compared to only 13% for untreated copper foil.
Computer simulations show that polyacrylamide can break the strong chemical bonds in carbon dioxide molecules, promote the formation and stability of carbon monoxide and other intermediate products, so that more carbon dioxide into ethylene instead of other products, enhance the selectivity of the specific reaction.
The researchers said that they will seek ways to further increase conversion efficiency, and study the direct production of polyethylene from carbon dioxide, simplifying the intermediate flow of plastic production.