The need to cut the CO2 immission into the atmosphere is pushing scientists and technologists to discover and implement new strategies that may be effective for controlling the CO2 atmospheric level (and its putative effects on Climate Change-CC). One option is the capture of CO2 (from power plants flue gases or other industrial processes) for avoiding that it can enter the atmosphere. The captured CO2 can be either disposed in natural fields (geological cavities, spent gas or oil wells, coal beads, aquifers; even oceans have been proposed) or used as source of carbon in synthetic processes. In this paper we present the options for CO2 utilization driven by solar energy and make an analysis of a variety of solutions for the conversion of large volumes of CO2 by either combining it with H2, that must be generated from water, or by directly converting it into fuels by electrolysis in water, or else by integrating catalysis and biotechnology for an effective conversion of CO2. A CO2-H2 based economy may address the issue of reducing the environmental burden of energy production, also saving fossil carbon for next generations. The enhanced growth of aquatic biomass is not discussed in this paper.
Integration of Solar Chemistry and Biotechnology for Building-up an Effective Man-Made C-Cycle that May Complement the Natural C-Cycle.
Dibenedetto Angela
2020-01-01
Abstract
The need to cut the CO2 immission into the atmosphere is pushing scientists and technologists to discover and implement new strategies that may be effective for controlling the CO2 atmospheric level (and its putative effects on Climate Change-CC). One option is the capture of CO2 (from power plants flue gases or other industrial processes) for avoiding that it can enter the atmosphere. The captured CO2 can be either disposed in natural fields (geological cavities, spent gas or oil wells, coal beads, aquifers; even oceans have been proposed) or used as source of carbon in synthetic processes. In this paper we present the options for CO2 utilization driven by solar energy and make an analysis of a variety of solutions for the conversion of large volumes of CO2 by either combining it with H2, that must be generated from water, or by directly converting it into fuels by electrolysis in water, or else by integrating catalysis and biotechnology for an effective conversion of CO2. A CO2-H2 based economy may address the issue of reducing the environmental burden of energy production, also saving fossil carbon for next generations. The enhanced growth of aquatic biomass is not discussed in this paper.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
