{
  "id": 139710,
  "title": "Key photocatalyst technology for converting greenhouse gases into future fuels",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/key-photocatalyst-technology-for-converting-greenhouse-gases-into",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-04T17:20:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-08-key-photocatalyst-technology-greenhouse-gases.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A joint research team from Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology and the California Institute of Technology has developed a groundbreaking photocatalyst that transforms carbon dioxide into methane using sunlight. The innovative technology, published in Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy, combines two unique cocatalysts – two-dimensional molybdenum diselenide (MoSe₂) and platinum (Pt) nanoparticles – onto a titanium dioxide (TiO₂) surface.\n\nThe researchers engineered precise heterojunction interfaces between TiO₂ and MoSe₂, overcoming the instability of the latter's layered structure and enabling continuous electron transfer. Platinum nanoparticles within the system rapidly captured photogenerated electrons, speeding up the reduction process. When tested in a solar-concentrating reactor, the photocatalyst achieved a remarkable methane yield of 17.81 μmol/g, with a threefold increase compared to standard illumination and a 65-fold improvement over conventional TiO₂ photocatalysts.\n\nThis advancement stabilizes the highly active yet unstable metallic 1T-MoSe₂ phase through interface engineering, while also unraveling the mechanisms behind multi-electron reduction reactions. The innovative dual-cocatalyst system, which leverages the synergistic effects of photon flux from light concentration and efficient charge transfer across catalyst interfaces, promises significant advancements in carbon recycling and utilization, converting CO₂ into environmentally friendly fuels and chemical feedstocks using solar energy.",
  "summary": "A joint research team led by Professor Su-Il In of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at DGIST and Professor William A. Goddard III of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has significantly improved the performance of a sunlight-driven photocatalyst for converting carbon dioxide into methane by integrating two distinct cocatalysts and elucidating the underlying…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}