Novel technologies for CO2 conversion to renewable fuels, chemicals, and value-added products

Abstract

Population growth, urbanization, industrialization, and increased socioeconomic activities have escalated carbon dioxide (CO₂) formation and concentration in the atmosphere. Increased generation and release of CO₂ into the atmosphere exacerbates global warming and impedes environmental sustainability. One of the strategies to combat the unpleasant impact of CO₂ in the atmosphere is the conversion of CO₂ into useful products. This study reviews the benefits, drawbacks, and recommendations for effectively utilizing conventional, hybrid, and novel technologies for converting CO2 into energy and chemical products. The deficiencies noticed with chemical, thermal, biological, and catalytic CO₂ conversion technologies (CTs) necessitated the use of hybrid conversion technologies such as biochemical, electrochemical, photocatalytic, and plasma chemical. The study posits that the development and deployment of novel CO₂ CTs like bio-electrochemical, photo-electrochemical, and artificial photosynthesis will advance the research domain and revolutionize product formation. The transformation of CO₂ into renewable fuels such as methane, syngas, and C2 fuels and chemical products such as methanol, formic acid, dimethyl carbonate, oxygenates, formaldehyde, and hydrocarbons is, eco-friendly, reduces air pollution, mitigates climate change, supports energy security, and provides valuable feedstocks for industries. The study recommends optimization of process parameters and reactor design configurations, increased funding, provision of regulatory framework and support, and partnerships among academia, industry players, and government agencies to achieve cost reduction, reduce environmental impacts, and combat drawbacks associated with CO₂ CTs.