Berkley lab researchers demo new technique for converting CO2 into liquid acetate

In California, scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have demonstrated a new technique, modeled after a metabolic process found in some bacteria, for converting carbon dioxide (CO2) into liquid acetate, a key ingredient in “liquid sunlight” or solar fuels produced through artificial photosynthesis.

The new approach, reported in Nature Catalysis, could help advance carbon-free alternatives to fossil fuels linked to global warming and climate change. The work is also the first demonstration of a device that mimics how these bacteria naturally synthesize acetate from electrons and CO2.