New Electrode Turns Carbon Emissions into Valuable Industrial Chemicals

Researchers in South Korea have developed an electrode that captures carbon dioxide from industrial exhaust and converts it directly into formic acid, offering a more efficient pathway for reducing emissions.

“This work shows that carbon capture and conversion do not need to be treated as separate steps,” said Wonyong Choi, a chemical engineer and co-author of the study. “By integrating both functions into a single electrode, we demonstrate a simpler pathway for CO₂ utilisation under realistic gas conditions.”

The device uses a three-layer system that combines a carbon-capturing material, gas-permeable carbon paper, and a catalytic tin oxide layer, which transforms captured CO₂ into formic acid, a useful chemical for fuel cells and industrial processes. In laboratory tests, it was about 40% more efficient than comparable technologies using pure CO₂ and continued producing significant quantities of formic acid even when tested with simulated flue gas containing only 15% CO₂. The system also operated under atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, suggesting potential for future carbon-capture systems that convert emissions from power plants, factories and even ambient air into useful materials.