Tomorrow's edition of the journal Science includes a study that found a copper-containing catalyst binds two CO2 molecules into an oxalate, and allows the catalyst to be more easily recovered. So far, there has not been a cost-effective technique to remove excess CO2 from the atmosphere, but researchers suggest this new process may offer a solution.
If the process turns out to be effective and scalable on a global scale, how much copper would it require? With Arizona supply 65% of the nations copper, could this make a significant demand for the metal?
[right, CO2 molecules, top, are converted to oxalates by a catalyst, middle, and later released, bottom. Credit, adapted from E. Bouwman, University of Leiden]