Nano-sponges of solid acid transform carbon dioxide to fuel and plastic waste to chemicals

(Tata Institute of Fundamental Research) The primary cause of climate change is atmospheric CO2, whose levels are rising every day. There is, therefore, a great need to find ways to reduce CO2 levels. On other hand, an excessive amount of plastic waste has become a serious environmental problem. In this work, researchers dealt with both these problems at one stroke, by developing nano solid acids which transform CO2 directly to fuel (dimethyl ether) and plastic waste to chemicals (hydrocarbons).