🧪 A promising pathway to recycle CO₂ into the fuel of the future

What if carbon dioxide, often seen as a waste product, became a usable source of energy?

This idea is now taking a concrete direction thanks to a scientific team. They have developed a catalyst based on manganese, a common and inexpensive metal, capable of efficiently converting this CO₂ into formate. This compound is being examined as a potential means to store and release hydrogen for fuel cells.


The sustainable production of hydrogen is a major challenge for the energy technologies of tomorrow. Currently, common processes to obtain formate, a precursor of formic acid used in various industries, generally rely on the use of fossil fuels. Consequently, the direct conversion of atmospheric carbon dioxide into this substance presents a more environmentally friendly alternative. It allows for the reduction of emissions while generating a valuable product.

The research team, combining members from Yale and the University of Missouri, published its results in the journal Chem. The work led by Justin Wedal and Kyler Virtue, under the supervision of Nilay Hazari and Wesley Bernskoetter, enabled the design of a manganese catalyst whose active lifespan was significantly extended. This increased stability makes it even more performant than many precious metal-based catalysts, which are usually more effective but also more expensive.

The longevity of this material comes from a precise modification of its structure. The researchers added an additional donor atom in the design of the ligand, the entity that surrounds and influences the central metal atom. This adjustment prevents the rapid degradation that previously affected common metal catalysts, allowing them to maintain their activity for converting CO₂.

This breakthrough goes beyond the mere production of formate. The scientists indicate that their design approach could be applied to other catalytic reactions. This perspective paves the way for the development of new, more economical and sustainable chemical processes, using abundant materials for various transformations.

The potential applications are numerous, particularly in the field of energy storage. The produced formate can serve as a vector for hydrogen, facilitating its transport and use in fuel cells. This pathway helps to overcome one of the main obstacles related to hydrogen as a clean fuel: finding practical and low-cost methods to manage it on a large scale.

The funding for this research comes from the U.S. Department of Energy. This work shows how innovations in fundamental chemistry can lead to concrete solutions for current energy and environmental questions, by proposing alternatives to traditional industrial processes.