Thermal CO2 reduction to short chain olefins by encapsulated nanocrystals

Olefins are a very important kind of hydrocarbon, needed to make many compounds, like plastics. Currently, olefins are prepared from byproducts of natural gas and oil in a process that uses much energy and emits a lot of greenhouse gases. This project will attempt to overcome a barrier to an appealing alternative to this process—thermal reduction of carbon dioxide with renewable hydrogen. The scientists hope to strongly control the reaction with microporous structures to produce short-chain olefins with remarkable energy and environmental savings.