Groundbreaking Method Converts CO2 to Sustainable Fuel Using Sunlight, Copper & Carbon Nitride

Carbon nitride (C3N4), a material with a visible light absorption spectrum and low conduction band potential, plays a crucial role in this process. When combined with copper atoms, carbon nitride facilitates photocatalysis—a chemical reaction triggered by sunlight exposure. By depositing single atoms of copper onto a light-activated form of carbon nitride, researchers successfully transformed CO2 into methanol, a liquid fuel that can be used in various applications.