Electrocatalytic Conversion of Carbon Dioxide to Butanol

The United States must import more than 50% of the oil the country consumes. Reliance on foreign oil creates an energy security problem for our country and contributes to trade imbalances. The United States and the rest of the world also face the threat climate change brought about by carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels. Liquid Light, Inc will conduct research and development on electrocatalytic systems for selectively and efficiently converting CO2 to butanol, a gasoline alternative, using a biomimetic process. The technology under development addresses the problems of energy security and climate change by allowing. CO2 to be a feedstock for the chemical industry and for transportation fuels. The Phase I research objective is to determine commercial viability, and the Phase II objective is to demonstrate a prototype system.Commercial Applications and Other Benefits: The United States will have a means of converting a form of pollution into chemicals and fuels, which will benefit industries currently reliant on fossil fuels. The U.S. will also gain an edge in the emerging field of green chemistry, which can translate into the growth of new industries that are less polluting while providing American jobs. With regard to basic science, research done by Liquid Light will extend general scientific knowledge of the chemistry of CO2 and technical understanding of how to manipulate the molecule