Tandem catalytic system efficiently converts carbon dioxide to methanol

Boston College chemists have used a tandem catalytic system to efficiently convert carbon dioxide to methanol. By encapsulating multiple catalysts involved in the tandem process in nanoporous materials called metal-organic frameworks, the team reports achieving superior performance by eliminating catalyst incompatibility. The method could be applied to other tandem catalytic processes, allowing more efficient access to alternative fuels, commodity chemicals, and valuable pharmaceutical products.