McMaster team converts CO2 capture solution into green ethylene using copper nanowire‑coated porous cathodes
Researchers at McMaster demonstrated in the lab that a porous copper cathode coated with copper nanowires can directly electroconvert a CO2 capture solution into ethylene without lengthy purification steps, offering a route to produce ‘green’ ethylene using clean electricity and pairing with renewable energy surpluses.
The McMaster group focused on the cathode design: a porous copper electrode with copper nanowire surface coatings enhances binding and reaction pathways of carbon species present in captured‑CO2 solutions. This setup enables direct electrochemical formation of C2 products such as ethylene from the mixed capture medium, bypassing energy‑intensive separation stages. Results in laboratory conditions are promising; the team is pursuing efficiency improvements and scale‑up efforts to advance low‑carbon ethylene production.
Read the original story · McMaster University — https://news.mcmaster.ca/how-mcmaster-researchers-are-using-copper-wires-to-convert-carbon-emissions-into-useful-chemicals/