Mumbai Scientist Invents 'Black Gold' That Can Turn CO2 Into Fuel

A scientist from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai has developed a new material that is capable of converting carbon dioxide into fuel. The process is done by mimicking photosynthesis. The invention also boasts the potential to fight global warming.

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The new material has been given the moniker 'black gold' by Dr. Vivek Polshettiwar, associate professor in the Division of Chemical Sciences. More details about the new material can be found in the scientific journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry, UK. The scientist also plans to patent the invention, reports DNA.

Scientists have been poised to fight global warming, and new solutions have been developed to curb the pollution caused by vehicles and industries burning coal, which have been the biggest contributors to this phenomenon.

"We have transformed actual gold into Black Gold by using nanotechnology," Dr. Polshettiwar said. "We reduced the space between gold nanoparticles in a way that the metal absorbed the entire visible and near-infrared region of sunlight, eventually turning black. Hence the name Black Gold."

Just like plants require carbon dioxide, sunlight, and water to produce glucose using chlorophyll, 'black gold' will change the gaseous elements and turns them into methane which can be used to charge vehicles.

The scientist also added that the production of the material is low as of now. However, he's optimistic about a technology to convert CO2 into fuel in the near future. "We are trying to arrive at low-cost alternatives," he said.

Besides, research published by the Advanced Energy Materials journal, several devices can be recharged through their movement only. The process will use the Triboelectric Nanogenerators (TENGs).

The study by the researchers at the University of Surrey's Advanced Technology Institute shows how an electrical current can be generated by contact between multiple materials. The scientists have also created a step-by-step guide for creating a TENG and formulated a "TENG power transfer equation," in addition to "TENG impedance plots."