TEST SERIES 
Date : 28 Oct 2021
NON-TOXIC ORGANIC PHOTOCATALYST
Tags :NON-TOXIC ORGANIC PHOTOCATALYST
Why in news:
Recently, Indian scientists have designed a cost-effective organic catalyst to convert carbon-dioxide (CO2) to methane (CH4).
Key Points:
Why in news:
Recently, Indian scientists have designed a cost-effective organic catalyst to convert carbon-dioxide (CO2) to methane (CH4).
Key Points:
- The catalyst is free of metals, and absorbs visible light to convert CO2 to methane.
- Many researchers are focused on reducing CO2 by converting it into value-added products.
- One such value-added product could be methane.
- It is the cleanest burning fossil fuel.
- Methane is the Main component of natural gas.
- It can replace coal to generate electricity.
- The catalyst was designed by a team of scientists from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India
- Most catalysts contain toxic and expensive metal counterparts.
- The Indian scientists’ team designed a metal-free porous organic polymer to overcome this drawback. The polymer is designed to absorb visible light and catalyze the reaction which reduces CO2.
- The catalyst has a chemical called the conjugated micro-porous polymer (CMP). This could uptake CO2 onto its surface due to its high CO2 intake capability at room temperature, converting it into methane as a value-added product.
