Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati have developed a photocatalytic material that can convert carbon dioxide into methanol fuel using sunlight, offering a promising solution to climate change and clean energy transition.

What has been developed?

• A novel photocatalyst that converts carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, into methanol, a clean liquid fuel.
  
• The catalyst works under visible light and natural sunlight, making it energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.
  

How does the technology work?

• Researchers combined graphitic carbon nitride (a low-cost, metal-free, non-toxic material) with few-layer graphene.
• Graphene improves electrical conductivity and prevents rapid energy loss, a key limitation of earlier photocatalysts.
• The best performance was achieved with 15 % graphene content, which showed:
  • Higher light absorption
  • Better charge separation
  • Longer catalyst activity and stability

Why is this important?

• Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels are a major cause of global warming.
• Converting carbon dioxide into methanol fuel supports the idea of a circular carbon economy, where waste emissions are reused as resources.
• Methanol can be used as:
  • A clean fuel
  • A chemical feedstock
  • An energy carrier for future green technologies

Potential applications

• Thermal power plants
• Cement and steel industries
• Petrochemical refineries
  These sectors emit large volumes of carbon dioxide and can directly integrate this technology for emission reduction.

Relevance for India

• Aligns with India’s climate goals under the National Action Plan on Climate Change.
• Supports renewable energy, low-carbon technologies, and sustainable industrial growth.
• Strengthens India’s role in green hydrogen and alternative fuel research.

Why it matters for the future

This innovation shows how science and sustainability can work together—using sunlight to turn pollution into fuel. If scaled up, it can reduce dependence on fossil fuels while cutting emissions.

Exam Hook – Prelims 

Q. Which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. Methanol can be produced from carbon dioxide using photocatalysts and sunlight.
2. Graphitic carbon nitride is a metal-free and non-toxic material.
3. Few-layer graphene helps reduce energy loss in photocatalytic reactions.

Answer: 1, 2 and 3 

One-line wrap:
IIT Guwahati turns carbon dioxide into clean fuel using sunlight—science powering a greener future.

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