Scientists from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, took a photosynthesis blueprint to harness the Sun’s power to transform harmful greenhouse gases into valuable chemicals. Their discovery opens up new potential ways to slow the rapid growth of climate change, including a sustainable way to produce certain industrial materials.

“Imagine a world where the exhaust from your car or emissions from a factory could be transformed, with the help of sunlight, into clean fuel for vehicles, the building blocks for everyday plastics, and energy stored in batteries,” said co-first author Hui Su, a Postdoctoral Fellow in McGill’s Department of Chemistry. “That’s precisely the kind of transformation this new chemical process enables.”

The team’s novel process, known as photo-driven oxygen-atom-grafting, turns methane and carbon dioxide into green methane and carbon monoxide— two highly valued products in the chemical and energy sectors.

The novel process is similar to photosynthesis, where CO2 is turned into something valuable. Photo: McGill University.

Nature’s Sustainable Solution

The study’s findings describe a novel mechanism similar to how photosynthesis enables plants to convert CO2 and water into glucose and water using sunlight.

During the scientist’s novel chemical process, a unique mix of gold, palladium, and gallium nitride acts as a catalyst. When it’s exposed to sunlight, the substance triggers a reaction: an oxygen atom from CO2 attaches to a methane molecule, producing green methanol. Carbon monoxide is created as a byproduct.

“By tapping into the abundant energy of the sun, we can essentially recycle two greenhouse gases into useful products. The process works at room temperature and doesn’t require the high heat or harsh chemicals used in other chemical reactions,” said lead author Chao-Jun Li. Li is a distinguished James McGill Professor in McGill’s Department of Chemistry and a Canada Research Chair in Green/Organic Chemistry.

Co-first author Jing-Tan Han, a PhD student in McGill’s Department of Chemistry, added, “This innovation offers a promising path towards Canada’s target of net-zero emissions by 2050 and turns an environmental challenge into an opportunity for a more sustainable future.”