Conversion of Carbon Dioxide into Carbon Mono-Oxide

A team of scientists at U-M Medical School, UK (under a collaborative study between University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and University of Oxford) has discovered that aqueous dispersion of Carbon Monoxide dehydrogenase (enzyme) modified nanoparticles of Titanium oxide and Ruthenium photo-sensitizer catalyzes conversion of Carbon dioxide to Carbon monoxide using visible light.

Carbon Monoxide can be used to produce electricity or hydrogen. It also has significant fuel value and can be converted by known catalysts into hydro carbons or methanol for use as liquid fuel. Although Carbon monoxide serves as a source of energy and biomass for microbes, it is toxic for animals and the risk needs to be managed when it is generated or used in chemical reactions.

This is a recent research finding reported in Journal of American Chemical Society on 29th January, 2010. Government has not taken any specific action on utilization of this finding as of now.

This was stated by Shri Prithviraj Chavan, the Minister of State (I/C) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences in the Lok Sabha today.

Source: Press Information Bureau
Date: May 05, 2010