Swiss researchers turn CO2 into industrial chemical

Using a new process, Swiss researchers can convert CO2 into the chemical acetaldehyde, which is valuable for industry. Acetaldehyde is used in the production of perfume and plastics, among other things. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Until now, the chemical has been produced from raw materials obtained from fossil fuels such as crude oil or natural gas, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) explained on Monday. According to the EPFL, this benefits the environment in two ways. On the one hand, the greenhouse gas CO2 is used instead of being released into the atmosphere, and on the other hand, the new process reduces the need for fossil fuels for acetaldehyde production. The research team led by EPFL has developed a new copper catalyst for this purpose. Such catalysts have previously proven to be suitable for this conversion. However, according to the EPFL, they previously had to contend with low selectivity. They therefore not only ...