Olah George A, Goeppert Alain, Prakash G K Surya
Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute and Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, University Park, Los Angeles, California 90089-1661, USA.
J Org Chem. 2009 Jan 16;74(2):487-98. doi: 10.1021/jo801260f.
Nature's photosynthesis uses the sun's energy with chlorophyll in plants as a catalyst to recycle carbon dioxide and water into new plant life. Only given sufficient geological time can new fossil fuels be formed naturally. In contrast, chemical recycling of carbon dioxide from natural and industrial sources as well as varied human activities or even from the air itself to methanol or dimethyl ether (DME) and their varied products can be achieved via its capture and subsequent reductive hydrogenative conversion. The present Perspective reviews this new approach and our research in the field over the last 15 years. Carbon recycling represents a significant aspect of our proposed Methanol Economy. Any available energy source (alternative energies such as solar, wind, geothermal, and atomic energy) can be used for the production of needed hydrogen and chemical conversion of CO(2). Improved new methods for the efficient reductive conversion of CO(2) to methanol and/or DME that we have developed include bireforming with methane and ways of catalytic or electrochemical conversions. Liquid methanol is preferable to highly volatile and potentially explosive hydrogen for energy storage and transportation. Together with the derived DME, they are excellent transportation fuels for internal combustion engines (ICE) and fuel cells as well as convenient starting materials for synthetic hydrocarbons and their varied products. Carbon dioxide thus can be chemically transformed from a detrimental greenhouse gas causing global warming into a valuable, renewable and inexhaustible carbon source of the future allowing environmentally neutral use of carbon fuels and derived hydrocarbon products.
自然界的光合作用利用植物中的叶绿素作为催化剂，将太阳能用于将二氧化碳和水再循环为新的植物生命。只有经过足够长的地质时间，新的化石燃料才能自然形成。相比之下，通过捕获二氧化碳并随后进行还原氢化转化，可以实现将来自天然和工业源以及各种人类活动甚至空气中的二氧化碳化学循环转化为甲醇或二甲醚（DME）及其各种产物。本综述回顾了这种新方法以及我们在过去15年中在该领域的研究。碳循环是我们提出的甲醇经济的一个重要方面。任何可用的能源（如太阳能、风能、地热能和原子能等替代能源）都可用于生产所需的氢气以及二氧化碳的化学转化。我们开发的将二氧化碳高效还原转化为甲醇和/或二甲醚的改进新方法包括与甲烷的双重整以及催化或电化学转化方法。对于能量储存和运输而言，液态甲醇比高挥发性且有潜在爆炸危险的氢气更具优势。与衍生的二甲醚一起，它们是内燃机（ICE）和燃料电池的优质运输燃料，也是合成烃及其各种产物的便利起始原料。因此，二氧化碳可以从导致全球变暖的有害温室气体化学转化为未来有价值、可再生且取之不尽的碳源，从而实现碳燃料及其衍生烃产品的环境中性使用。
