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UCLA Researchers Use Electricity and CO2 to Make Butanol

NEW ENERGY AND FUEL -- A research team at UCLA’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science has for the first time demonstrated a method for converting carbon dioxide into the liquid fuel isobutanol using electricity.
The study paper is published today, March 30 2012, in the journal Science. The study explains how James Liao, UCLA’s Ralph M. Parsons Foundation Chair in Chemical Engineering, and his team use a method for storing electrical energy as chemical energy in higher alcohols, which then can be used as liquid transportation fuels.

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Submitted Apr 28, 2012 By: dadown

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db60 All-Star Author Indiana Posts:982 Points:211,255 Joined:Oct 2011	Message Posted: Apr 29, 2012 9:20:59 AM Ignore db60 Report Abuse Nice!
Track79 All-Star Author Maine Posts:802 Points:600,540 Joined:Mar 2010	Message Posted: Apr 29, 2012 8:42:34 AM Ignore Track79 Report Abuse Novel idea
eric2theem Sophomore Author Riverside Posts:105 Points:30,155 Joined:Mar 2012	Message Posted: Apr 29, 2012 8:03:49 AM Ignore eric2theem Report Abuse thats awesome!!
EricBrazil Champion Author Miami Posts:2,127 Points:471,275 Joined:Nov 2011	Message Posted: Apr 28, 2012 10:50:39 PM Ignore EricBrazil Report Abuse Scalable?
aquarinut Champion Author British Columbia Posts:1,628 Points:436,855 Joined:Jul 2011	Message Posted: Apr 28, 2012 8:59:18 PM Ignore aquarinut Report Abuse Really nice to come up with all of these alternative means of energy but... better come up with the infrastructure to make it available to the general public and even more important, the impact it will make on the environment to produce the product in GARGANTUAN quantities!!!
PDQBlues Champion Author San Diego Posts:7,074 Points:1,448,325 Joined:Jan 2009	Message Posted: Apr 28, 2012 8:51:51 PM Ignore PDQBlues Report Abuse TableTalk: Why is it that people have this knee-jerk aversion to oil? It is after all "natural" coming straight out of the earth... Let's use it while we have it. Arsenic, lead and many other highly toxic substances are "natural". Just because it's "natural" doesn't make it safe. And no matter how you argue the point of oil, we will eventually run out of it. It's better that we have an alternative way before that happens. Now can you understand?
Night Owl Champion Author Toronto Posts:7,550 Points:1,786,600 Joined:Jul 2004	Message Posted: Apr 28, 2012 8:48:23 PM Ignore Night Owl Report Abuse Interesting.
tatker Champion Author Asheville Posts:1,960 Points:559,605 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Apr 28, 2012 4:48:39 PM Ignore tatker Report Abuse what's the matter with oil? it's becoming to dang expensive because all the low hanging fruit has been had. And comes from places that don't care for us to much. So I say good riddance to oil if we can find a doable alternative.
TableTalk Champion Author Virginia Posts:1,184 Points:557,200 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Apr 28, 2012 4:43:45 PM Ignore TableTalk Report Abuse Why is it that people have this knee-jerk aversion to oil? It is after all "natural" coming straight out of the earth... Let's use it while we have it.
LEGION57 Champion Author South Carolina Posts:1,676 Points:283,110 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: Apr 28, 2012 3:04:26 PM Ignore LEGION57 Report Abuse But will it equal the power of oil? Will it lift a jumbo jet? All scientists say NOTHING is close to oil. Natural renewable delicious earth oil. Some idiots want algae to be used. Well then no oxygen for you to breath useful idiot.
OHMS Champion Author Orange County Posts:13,717 Points:1,691,880 Joined:May 2005	Message Posted: Apr 28, 2012 2:36:01 PM Ignore OHMS Report Abuse BEST ARTICLE I'VE EVER SEEN ON GAS BUDDY! Using coal twice would an impressive accomplishment. Displacing some oil production would be a bonus. Depending on the state of the CO2 concentration crude oil could be a nearly obsolete product. ps james Calvin; you thinking of 4 carbon alkane butane; not the alcohol butanol? [Edited by: OHMS at 4/28/2012 2:38:02 PM EST]
JamesCalvin Champion Author Lancaster Posts:3,186 Points:519,555 Joined:Nov 2011	Message Posted: Apr 28, 2012 2:20:09 PM Ignore JamesCalvin Report Abuse Hope they don't run out of CO2! Plant life would begin to diminish! Obama's seaweed program would falter! Corn production used for ethanol would be reduced!
JamesCalvin Champion Author Lancaster Posts:3,186 Points:519,555 Joined:Nov 2011	Message Posted: Apr 28, 2012 2:17:12 PM Ignore JamesCalvin Report Abuse Sir, can you give me a light?