German researchers create methanol from carbon dioxide

Recently, German researchers have discovered that with the help of a metal catalyst, carbon dioxide and hydrogen can be used to produce industrially useful methanol under milder conditions.

Researchers at Aachen University in Germany reported in a new issue of the German Journal of Applied Chemistry that they found in experiments that, under the homogeneous catalytic action of a metal catalyst rhodium-phosphine complex, carbon dioxide and hydrogen Methanol is produced in a pressurized solution and one carbon dioxide molecule and three hydrogen molecules react to produce methanol and water. Researchers say that using this method to convert carbon dioxide and hydrogen into methanol is a new way of thinking and they will continue to search for more suitable catalysts.

Methanol is an important chemical raw material and a clean liquid fuel, and is widely used in medicine, pesticides, fuels and other fields. At present, industrial production of methanol is mainly accomplished by hydrogen and carbon monoxide under high temperature, high pressure and heterogeneous catalysis.

Participation in the study also believes that the use of greenhouse gases that people want to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide production of methanol is an ideal treatment, but this has a very high demand for the catalyst, they will continue to find more suitable catalyst. (Reporter Guo Yang)