The conversion of carbon dioxide into formate, an ester of formic acid, holds promise for turning greenhouse gases into a clean source of energy for fuel cells. But the typical conversion process that relies on metal catalysts and electrolysis has been hampered by inefficiency, mainly because metal catalysts trigger high levels of side reactions, producing unwanted hydrogen byproducts.
New research, led by scientists at the Univ. of Cambridge, suggests that by turning to biology, researchers can transform carbon dioxide to formate more efficiently. A new method uses enzymes instead of metal catalysts to drive the conversion. These enzymes are extremely selective for the desired reaction; however, they’re also finicky.
“They’re used to being in cells, where they’re in this nice, controlled environment,” says Sam Cobb, a research fellow at the Univ. of Cambridge and a coauthor of two papers on the method.
During a chemical reaction, the local environment inevitably changes, making it difficult to ensure that enzymes always have optimal conditions to function. Cobb and his colleagues focused on these local changes, looking for ways to tune the conditions to keep the enzymes working. By tweaking the...
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