What if we could revive waste carbon dioxide?

KIMS and KAIST developed catalyst synthesis process and precision control technology to maximize carbon dioxide conversion efficiency

National Research Council of Science & Technology

Facebook

XLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

 

image: 

Schematic illustration of the enhanced CO2 conversion reaction achieved through the synergistic effects of dual-single-atom catalysts

view more 

Credit: Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS)

 

As the severity of climate change and carbon emissions becomes a global concern, technologies to convert carbon dioxide (CO₂) into resources such as chemical fuels and compounds are urgently needed. Dr. Dahee Park’s research team from the Nano Materials Research Division at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), has collaborated with Professor Jeong-Young Park’s team from the Department of Chemistry at KAIST to develop a catalyst technology that significantly enhances the efficiency of carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion.

 Conventional carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion technologies have faced challenges in commercialization due to their low efficiency relative to high energy consumption. In particular, single-atom catalysts (SACs) suffer from complex synthesis processes and difficulties in maintaining stable bonding with metal oxide supports, which are crucial for stabilizing catalyst particles and enhancing durability. As a result, the performance of these catalysts has been limited.

 To overcome these limitations, the research team developed single- and dual-single-atom catalyst (DSAC) technologies and introduced a simplified process to enhance catalyst efficiency. This achievement utilizes electronic interactions between metals in the dual-single-atom catalysts (DSACs), achieving higher conversion rates and excellent selectivity (the ability of a catalyst to direct the production of desired products) compared to existing technologies.

 This technology involves a catalyst design approach that precisely controls oxygen vacancies and defect structures within metal oxide supports, significantly enhancing the efficiency and selectivity of carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion reactions. Oxygen vacancies facilitate the adsorption of CO2 on the catalyst surface, while single and dual-single-atom catalysts assist in the adsorption of hydrogen (H2). The combined action of oxygen vacancies, single atoms, and dual-single atoms enables the effective conversion of CO2 with H2 into desired compounds. Notably, dual-single-atom catalysts (DSACs) utilize electronic interactions between two metal atoms to actively regulate the reaction pathway and maximize efficiency.

 The research team applied the aerosol-assisted spray pyrolysis method to synthesize catalysts through a simplified process, also demonstrating its potential for mass production. This process involves transforming liquid materials into aerosols (fine mist-like particles) and introducing them into a heated chamber, where the catalyst is formed without the need for complex intermediate steps. This method enables the uniform dispersion of metal atoms within the metal oxide support and precise control of defect structures. By precisely controlling these defect structures, the team was able to stably form single- and dual-single-atom catalysts (DSACs). Leveraging DSACs, they reduced the use of single-atom catalysts by approximately 50% while achieving over twice the CO2 conversion efficiency compared to conventional methods and an exceptionally high selectivity of over 99%.

 This technology can be applied across various fields, including chemical fuel synthesis, hydrogen production, and the clean energy industry. Furthermore, the simplicity and high production efficiency of the catalyst synthesis method (aerosol-assisted spray pyrolysis) make it highly promising for commercialization.

 Dr. Dahee Park, the lead researcher, stated, “This technology represents a significant achievement in drastically improving the performance of CO2 conversion catalysts while enabling commercialization through a simplified process. It is expected to serve as a core technology for achieving carbon neutrality.” Professor Jeong-Young Park from KAIST added, “This research provides a relatively simple method for synthesizing a new type of single-atom catalyst that can be used in various chemical reactions. It also offers a crucial foundation for the development of CO2 decomposition and utilization catalysts, which is one of the most urgent research areas for addressing global warming caused by greenhouse gases.”

 This research was conducted with support from the Korea Institute of Materials Science's core projects, as well as funding from the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the National Research Council of Science and Technology. The findings were published online in Applied Catalysis B: Environmental and Energy (JCR Top 1%, Impact Factor: 20.3), a prestigious journal in the fields of catalysis and energy.

 

  

Schematic illustration of the synthesis process for single-atom and dual-single-atom catalysts using the aerosol-assisted spray pyrolysis method

Credit

Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

###

About Korea Institute of Materials Science(KIMS)

 

KIMS is a non-profit government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT of the Republic of Korea. As the only institute specializing in comprehensive materials technologies in Korea, KIMS has contributed to Korean industry by carrying out a wide range of activities related to materials science including R&D, inspection, testing&evaluation, and technology support.

---

Journal

Applied Catalysis B Environment and Energy

DOI

10.1016/j.apcatb.2024.124987 

Article Title

Insights into the synergy effect in dual single-atom catalysts on defective CeO2 under CO2 hydrogenation

 

How does innovation policy respond to the challenges of a changing world?

The new book “The Evolving Innovation Space” brings together fresh, research-based insights on how innovation can best be used to drive economic change and to find solutions to global problems.

University of Vaasa

Facebook

XLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

 

image: 

Helka Kalliomäki, Leena Kunttu and Jari Kuusisto

view more 

Credit: Johanna Kalliokoski

Researchers from the University of Vaasa, Finland, and Kent Business School, UK, have gathered insights on innovation policy, its current status and future perspectives in their new book “The Evolving Innovation Space”. The book offers research-based insights on how innovation can best be used to drive economic change and to find solutions to global problems.

– In a changing world, where geopolitical tensions are rising and artificial intelligence is gaining ground, innovation policy must also be reconsidered from new perspectives, says Helka Kalliomäki, one of the editors. 

With digital tools and platforms, the role of individuals, communities, and households as innovators has grown, making innovation activities more democratic. Innovation processes are no longer confined within companies, and this must be taken into account in innovation policy and its evaluation. 

The book explores the current landscape of innovation, as well as new trends and future prospects in innovation policy. Case studies illustrate the transformative power and dynamics of innovations in various fields. 

The book examines innovation activities broadly: from the perspectives of products, processes, systems, marketing, organization, roles, relationships, norms, values, and practices. 

The book is edited by Senior Advisor Jari Kuusisto, Vice-Rector Martin Meyer, Senior Specialist Leena Kunttu, and Associate Professor Helka Kalliomäki from the University of Vaasa, as well as Professor Stephen Flowers from Kent Business School. The book is based on the ELVIS - Evolving Innovation Space, RDI Policies and Impact Evaluation research project, funded by Business Finland. The book launch event was held on 10 February in Helsinki.

---

DOI

10.1515/9783111188218 

 

University of Vaasa, Finland, conducts research on utilizing buildings as energy sources

The University of Vaasa has received funding from Business Finland for the FlexiPower research and development project, which focuses on developing and commercializing the "Building as a Battery" (BaaB) solution

University of Vaasa

Facebook

XLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

 

image: 

University of Vaasa campus in the winter.

view more 

Credit: University of Vaasa

The University of Vaasa has received funding from Business Finland for the FlexiPower research and development project, which focuses on developing and commercializing the "Building as a Battery" (BaaB) solution. The project aims to find solutions that utilize existing building infrastructure as flexible energy sources.

The goal of the FlexiPower project is to develop and commercialize a solution that enables the dynamic response of building heating and cooling systems to the needs of the power system. This innovation offers a cost-effective and scalable solution for balancing the power grid without significant initial investments in batteries or other infrastructure projects.

The BaaB solution can generate significant revenue for property owners. The technology also supports property owners in reducing their carbon footprint and promoting responsible energy management and sustainable development.

- The project has been warmly received by property owners, primarily because it does not require large initial investments. The market is highly uncertain, making it difficult to calculate the payback period for investments, says Edi Sandblom from the University of Vaasa.

The increasing use of renewable energy sources requires flexible solutions for balancing the power system. The solutions offered by the project provide an innovative and efficient approach to this challenge.

During the initial phase of the project, the focus will be on testing and validating the solution in real buildings in collaboration with partners. The goal is to explore the applicability of the FlexiPower solution in various markets both in Finland and abroad. The project will continue until spring 2026.

For more information

Edi Sandblom, Executive in Residence, edi@flexipower.net
Hannu Laaksonen, Professor, Electrical Engineering, hannu.laaksonen@uwasa.fi
Elahe Doroudchi, Postdoctoral Researcher, elahe.doroudchi@uwasa.fi

Please visit the project website at www.flexipower.net. 

 

Hawaiian parasitic flies develop better hearing to locate host crickets

St. Olaf College

Facebook

XMessageWhatsAppEmail

 

image: 

A Pacific field cricket and Hawaiian parasitic fly next to each other.

view more 

Credit: Photo courtesy of the University of Denver and St. Olaf College

Research from St. Olaf College and the University of Denver, published in Current Biology, found that a parasitic fly in Hawaii has evolved to eavesdrop on the mating calls of Pacific field crickets. The flies were likely introduced to the Islands by Polynesian settlers and European cargo ships.

The research found that in Hawaii, the acoustic parasitoid fly has quickly evolved more sensitive hearing across a range of sound frequencies that are prominent in recently evolved and rapidly changing cricket calling songs. This adaptation improves the flies’ ability to locate hosts for their larvae, increasing their chances of survival. 

“It's important to understand how the sensory systems of eavesdroppers evolve because it reveals the fascinating ways animals adapt to survive and thrive,” said co-corresponding and co-senior author Norman Lee, an associate professor of biology at St. Olaf and the director of the Neuroscience Program. “Eavesdroppers, like flies that listen in on cricket songs, show how some species develop incredible abilities to detect sounds or signals that aren't meant for them.”

In previous studies, co-corresponding and co-senior author Robin Tinghitella, an associate professor of biology at the University of Denver, found that some male Pacific field crickets were evolving new songs through wing mutations, so as not to become prey to carrying the larvae of female Ormia ochracea, the parasitic flies. In turn, the parasitic flies have improved in their ability to find the location of male crickets for the larvae to incubate and develop in –– leading to the decline of crickets that do not have novel songs.  

“This now appears to be a classic example of adaptation and counteradaptation, back and forth, between the crickets and flies,” Tinghitella said. “Will the crickets evolve new songs, yet again, to evade the parasitic flies? Will the flies develop new ways of finding hosts? We can’t wait to see what will happen next.”

Building off of previous academic work, the team collected Ormia ochracea flies from Hawaii and Florida as a comparison population. The research team ran two experiment types, behavioral and neural, that focused on measuring the female parasitic flies’ response to cricket song types (such as purring, rattling, and typical). They found that Hawaiian flies had developed a more sensitive auditory system, allowing them to better locate these novel songs. In the field, they found that while the parasitic flies in Hawaii preferred the louder typical cricket songs, they were still able to detect the less intense purring and rattling songs. 

“This research also helps us understand broader questions, like how animals navigate their environments, find food, or avoid predators,” Lee said. “Plus, the unique strategies these eavesdroppers use can inspire innovations in technology. In essence, it’s about uncovering the hidden ways nature works and using that knowledge to benefit science and society.”

The research team recommends future studies to compare the neural threshold of the Hawaiian fly and cricket populations. Further research will help to better understand if female crickets’ auditory systems have evolved to better detect new songs by the males. 

This research was funded by the National Science Foundation, from their Division of Integrative Organismal Systems and Division of Environmental Biology; an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship; and the Collaborative Undergraduate Research and Inquiry (CURI) program at St. Olaf. The research team was composed of faculty and graduate students from St. Olaf and the University of Denver. 

Through CURI, this work received undergraduate research support from Mikayla Carlson ’23 and Mackenzie Farrell ’23 in the summer of 2022 and Quang Vu ’25 in the summer of 2023. “Engaging in cutting-edge, hands-on research allows St. Olaf undergraduates to apply their coursework, develop transferable technical skills, and experience how science is truly done while contributing to meaningful discoveries,” Lee said. 

-30-
 

Previous studies from the research team include: 

• Silent night: adaptive disappearance of a sexual signal in a parasitized population of field crickets

• Purring Crickets: The Evolution of a Novel Sexual Signal

• Decoupling of sexual signals and their underlying morphology facilitates rapid phenotypic diversification

---

Journal

Current Biology

DOI

10.1016/j.cub.2025.01.019 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Neural and behavioral evolution in an eavesdropper with a rapidly evolving host

Article Publication Date

20-Feb-2025

 

The rising tide of sand mining: a growing threat to marine life

Michigan State University

Facebook

XLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

 

image: 

Sand Mining Barge on Kuala Langat River, Selangor, Malaysia

view more 

Credit: Khairil Yusof, Creative Commons

In the delicate balancing act between human development and protecting the fragile natural world, sand is weighing down the scales on the human side.

A group of international scientists in this week’s journal One Earth are calling for balancing those scales to better identify the significant damage sand extraction across the world heaps upon marine biodiversity. The first step: acknowledging sand and gravel (discussed as sand in this publication) – the world’s most extracted solid materials by mass – are a threat hiding in plain sight.

“Sand is a critical resource that shapes the built and natural worlds,” said senior author Jianguo “Jack” Liu, Michigan State University Rachel Carson Chair in Sustainability. “Extracting sand is a complex global challenge. Systems approaches such as the metacoupling framework are essential to untangle the complexity. They can help reveal the hidden cascading impacts not only on the sand extraction sites but also other places such as sand transport routes and sites using sand for construction.”

Sand is the literal foundation of human development across the globe, a key ingredient of concrete, asphalt, glass, and electronics. It is relatively cheap and easily extracted. 

Unlike critical minerals or deep-sea mining — both of which have attracted significant scrutiny—sand extraction in marine environments remains largely overlooked, despite sand and sediment dredging being the second most widespread human activity in coastal areas after fishing, and its supply is often taken for granted. 

Sand mining across the world is being linked to coastal erosion, habitat destruction, the spread of invasive species and impacts on fisheries. Extracting sand can harm marine life by clouding water and riling sediment that can smother seagrasses and coral.  Disrupting spans of ocean sand can fragment habitat, change the patterns of waves and other issues that can throw marine life into disarray.

“This resource is often seen as an inert, abundant material, but in reality, it is an essential resource that shapes coastal and marine ecosystems, protects shorelines, and sustains ecosystems and livelihoods,” said lead author Aurora Torres, a researcher at Spain’s University of Alicante. “Since sand extraction is closely linked to coastal erosion, climate adaptation, and biodiversity loss, integrating it into broader environmental policies—such as marine protected areas, blue carbon strategies, climate resilience plans, and strategic natural resource management—is crucial to ensuring it is not treated as an isolated issue.”

Torres and Liu first brought the issues of sand to light in 2017 in the Science paper A looming tragedy of the sand commons.  In the One Earth commentary, the two, former and current members of MSU’s Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, call for sand to be elevated to the attention levels of fishing, aquaculture and tourism in the scale of global attention and action.

“Ultimately, the key to action is making sand extraction visible—through stronger data, improved governance, and direct links to pressing environmental and economic concerns. The more evident and tangible its impacts become, the harder it will be to ignore the need for responsible management,” Torres said, adding sand extraction near fragile populated coastlines can spur action as climate change exacerbates threats to human life.

“Reducing Sand Mining’s Growing Toll on Marine Biodiversity” is also written by Jean-Baptiste