French researchers have developed a breakthrough technology that could help tackle climate change whilst creating useful fuels from industrial waste. Dhananjay Khadilkar has this report.
A team at the Collège de France in Paris, led by Professor Marc Fontecave, has created a special catalyst - a material that speeds up chemical reactions - that can convert carbon into alcohols like ethanol and propanol. These alcohols can be used as vehicle fuels or to make plastics and other products.
The process works by first capturing carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas warming our planet, from factories or even directly from the air.
Record surge in CO2 puts world on track for more long-term warming
This CO2 is then converted into carbon monoxide, which the new catalyst transforms into useful fuels using electricity. When this electricity comes from renewable sources like wind or solar power, the entire process becomes carbon-neutral.
The catalyst is made from copper, with tiny amounts of silver and gold added to improve its performance. It's particularly good at producing propanol, which is valuable both as a fuel and for making plastics.
The research, conducted in partnership with energy company TotalEnergies, was published in the journal Nature Materials in March 2025
It represents an important step towards creating "e-fuels", synthetic fuels made using renewable electricity, which could help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.
