Researchers at Yale University have built a solar-powered device that converts carbon dioxide and water into methanol without external electricity. The system uses a cobalt phthalocyanine catalyst on carbon nanotubes and a silicon photoelectrode to drive the reaction, mimicking natural photosynthesis. It produces liquid fuel that can be stored longer than electricity and used in existing fuel infrastructure for transport and industry. The device is part of the federally funded CHASE research program. The team says it is one of the most efficient silicon-based photoelectrocatalytic methanol conversion systems reported so far. Methanol is already used as an industrial chemical and alternative fuel in shipping. Researchers acknowledge that commercial deployment still faces major challenges, but the work shows a path toward recycling captured CO2 into usable fuel with sunlight.
