Applications of nanotechnology
While attempting to create a nanotechnology-based, catalyst-mediated series of chemical reactions to turn carbon dioxide (C (a greenhouse gas) into a usable fuel, scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory instead discover a single-step process using the surface area of tiny spikes of copper and carbon as a catalyst to turn carbon dioxide into ethanol (C C O. The reaction may serve as a method to alleviate possible climate change by both decreasing C in the atmosphere and by using the ethanol as an additive to fuels to increase efficiency and thereby decrease consumption.
Sources: Popular Mechanics The Oak Ridge National Laboratory