Scientists have created a water-conducting membrane that facilitates the more efficient conversion of carbon dioxide into methanol. The research was published in the journal Science.

　　Methanol is a versatile and effective chemical used as a feedstock in the production of numerous products. On the other hand, carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas and an unwanted byproduct in many industrial processes.

　　Converting carbon dioxide into methanol is one way to effectively utilize carbon dioxide. Currently, scientists are using various reactions to convert carbon dioxide into methanol, but a byproduct is water—which significantly reduces production efficiency.

　　Researchers have now developed a membrane that filters out the water formed in the reaction, where zeolite crystals remove the liquid without affecting the gas.

　　“When we remove the water, it shifts the equilibrium towards product formation, meaning more carbon dioxide will be converted and more methanol will be produced,” said Li Huacheng, the lead author of the study.