Scientists have long dreamed of mimicking photosynthesis, by using the energy in sunlight to knit together hydrocarbon fuels from carbon dioxide and water. Now, a cheap new chemical catalyst has carried out part of that process with record efficiency, using electricity from a solar cell to split carbon dioxide (CO2) into energy-rich carbon monoxide (CO) and oxygen. The conversion isn’t yet efficient enough to compete with fossil fuels like gasoline. But it could one day
Cheap catalysts turn sunlight and carbon dioxide into fuel
More of Today's Solutions
Naples lets blind visitors feel the Veiled Christ
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM On a Tuesday morning in the Sansevero Chapel Museum (Museo Cappella Sansevero) in Naples, a guide named Chiara ...
Read MoreUrban coyotes are denning next door: here’s what to know
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Somewhere near you, a coyote may be nursing a litter of pups right now. She chose her den ...
Read MoreCompany that raised minimum salaries to $70,000 is still thriving
Almost seven years ago, The Optimist Daily did a piece on Dan Price, CEO of the credit card processing company Gravity Payments. At the ...
Read MoreUsing the Paralympics to encourage conversations about limb differences with ...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Children are naturally curious about the world around them, especially the people that cross their paths. When kids ...
Read More
