First article for the tandem Samir El Hankari and Wendy Queen
© 2024 EXAF/EPFL
Recently, the team of Samir El Hankari (UM6P) and Wendy Queen (EPFL) from the faculty development programme published the results of their project in the field of photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) to methanol. Their study proposes a sustainable and environmentally responsible solution for the conversion of CO2, thus contributing to the fight against greenhouse gas emissions while producing a valuable fuel for industry.
Wendy Queen and Samir El-Hankari have developed an innovative composite catalyst, CuCo-ZIF@g-C3N4, for the photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) to methanol, a sustainable solution for combating greenhouse gas emissions. Their work is based on the use of recycled materials, in particular copper and cobalt recovered from mining waste (copper and cobalt sulphates). This hybrid catalyst combines an organometallic framework (CuCo-ZIF) and a semiconductor, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), to improve the efficiency of CO2 conversion under visible light irradiation.
By optimising the reaction parameters using the surface response methodology, they doubled the methanol yield, reaching a yield of 1876.8 μmol/gcat. This project addresses environmental issues by valorising mining waste and proposing an economical approach for the production of methanol from CO2, while offering an efficient and sustainable catalyst for future industrial applications.
The work of Wendy Queen and Samir El-Hankari opens up promising prospects for the future of CO2 reduction and methanol production from sustainable resources, making a significant contribution to the energy transition and the reduction of the global carbon footprint.
To read the full study and find out more about the methods and results of this innovative research, please see the full article here.
Junior Faculty Development is a programme resulting from the Excellence for Africa initiative run jointly by Mohammed IV Polytechnic University in Morocco and EPFL.