Converting atmospheric CO2 into Carbon Nanofibers Made easier

Carbon nanofibers are not new, but still we are excited to talk about these somewhat mysterious product of carbon which is so expensive and difficult to manufacture. But, there seems to be a way to convert carbon dioxide from the atmosphere directly into nanofibers by an electrochemical process.

 
To begin with, the researchers had come up a with a “capture and requester” technique, in which they capture carbon in our environment. The ways on the list till now are, injecting carbon dioxide into porous basalt rock, where it is mineralized and then buried, making it impossible for it to seep into the atmosphere (Iceland), and a copper material that can be used to turn captured CO2 into fuel (Dept. of Energy).
Now in this method given by George Washington University’s Department of Chemistry, the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is taken into a lithium carbonate pot and subjected to a low voltage, whereupon, the solid carbon deposits in the cathode, and oxygen in the anode. Now, if we are not careful, of the temperature attained, and carbon dioxide might form carbon monoxide instead, which is very dangerous to health. This reaction is facilitated by the conversion of visible rays of sunlight into electricity through photovoltaic techniques.

 
The nanofibers produced are currently about 30 to 100 times more expensive than aluminium. So even though they make for incredible sturdy structures in construction, they are not much in use or demand at the moment, but this new technique might open doors and lead to falling of prices for this material. It’s like killing two stones with a bird, as this uses solar energy, produces oxygen and would reduce the levels of global warming if harnessed on a large scale.