Conversion of CO2 into energy carriers and resources | Wolfgang Schöfberger | TEDxLinz

The pioneering team at "SchoefbergerLab" based at the Institute of Organic Chemistry of Johannes Kepler University (JKU Linz), has unveiled innovative molecular catalysts. These catalysts exhibit a remarkable ability to selectively and efficiently convert CO2 into valuable compounds such as CO, ethylene, methanol, ethanol, and acetic acid, utilizing cost-effective carbon-paper electrodes. The versatility of the resulting products allows for their transformation into a range of useful chemicals using existing technologies, presenting an efficient means of harnessing CO2. Long-term experiments involving a typical flue gas mixture (CO2, NOX, O2, SO2, CO) have validated the sustained activity of these catalysts, indicating the feasibility of scaling up the process. Moreover, the direct recovery of CO2 gas from industrial flue gas is within reach, showcasing a potential breakthrough in mitigating climate impact. | Visit www.jku.at/en/institute-of-organic-chemistry/team/schoefberger-lab Wolfgang Schoefberger is Associate Professor at the Institute of Organic Chemistry at Johannes Kepler University Linz. He founded Schoefberger Lab, a laboratory for sustainable chemistry and catalysis. The Schoefberger Lab is focused on research in several areas of synthetic organic chemistry. These include a heavy emphasis on green chemistry and sustainable chemistry. Wolfang presents the vision of converting CO2 to value added products like alcohols, organic acids and syngas driven by renewable energy. By that he shows how CO2 could be captured and used in industry and other fields.
In September 2021, his team received the Upper Austrian State Award for Innovation for their work on catalysts for CO2 conversion. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx