
Researchers accidentally turn carbon dioxide into ethanol - crgwbr
https://www.engadget.com/amp/2016/10/18/researchers-accidentally-turn-carbon-dioxide-into-ethanol/
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detaro
previously on HN:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12733856](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12733856)

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revelation
So this is the new AMP experience, 1.3 MiB transferred Load 20 seconds. Only
to have random pictures blown up into my face. Five fonts, too.

Maybe we can just link to the original source

[https://www.ornl.gov/news/nano-spike-catalysts-convert-
carbo...](https://www.ornl.gov/news/nano-spike-catalysts-convert-carbon-
dioxide-directly-ethanol)

instead of this insult of an article. Of course you can only find that through
the YouTube video, because all the links go to Engadget. The definition of
blogspam.

~~~
tomahunt
The original paper has free access:

[http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/slct.201601169/fu...](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/slct.201601169/full)

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smoyer
If the "small amount of electricity" required to kickstart this reaction is
less than the electricity generated by burning the Ethanol, is this a
perpetual motion machine? It's still a chemical process but the wording makes
me think it's a net energy producer.

~~~
navls
Even if it produces more energy than it consumes, at best it would be an
inefficient hydrogen powered engine.

Although this is still pretty cool if it could capture atmospheric carbon.

~~~
smoyer
The main reason for my question is exactly that - if it's potentially self-
sustaining we'd end up with less CO2 in the atmosphere without the expense of
powering the system. Of course, we'd still have to figure out where to store
all the Ethanol as letting it evaporate back into the air wouldn't be at all
helpful.

~~~
navls
I volunteer! I have a machine that turns ethanol into energy and a good time.

~~~
smoyer
Hmmm ... it outputs CO2, heat and a bit of bio-sequestered carbon. The "good
time" is probably worth at least a little global warming ;)

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epitomix
Useless for removing CO2 from the atmosphere if we burn the ethanol. There are
better methods of CO2 sequestration. That tidbit seems to have been thrown in
there because climate change. Misleading or ignorant.

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british_india
Popular Mechanics is NOT a science publication. It's bogus to the core.

