Evonik and Research Partners Turn CO2 Into Feedstock for Industrial Chemicals
The collaboration between academia and industry yielded a bimetallic catalyst that replaces toxic carbon monoxide with carbon dioxide and green hydrogen in carbonylation reactions.
Researchers from an Evonik subsidiary and university partners in Germany have developed a catalyst system that enables carbon dioxide to serve as a raw material for producing industrial chemicals such as fragrances and plastic precursors. The study, published Aug. 28 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, demonstrates a potential route toward more sustainable chemical manufacturing.
The research team included scientists from Leibniz Institute for Catalysis (LIKAT), Ruhr University Bochum, and Evonik Oxeno. The team’s bimetallic catalyst combines iridium and palladium with an industrial phosphine ligand to drive carbonylation reactions that traditionally rely on carbon monoxide.
In this process, olefins are converted into esters using carbon dioxide and green hydrogen, eliminating the need for toxic feedstocks. The system also showed high selectivity for linear products, which are valued in both bulk and specialty chemical production.
The researchers said the breakthrough marks a step toward defossilizing the chemical industry by turning carbon dioxide from a waste gas into a usable resource. The collaboration between academic and industrial partners highlights how applied catalysis research can advance low-carbon chemical processes, according to the team.
Amanda Joshi has more than 18 years of experience in business-to-business publishing for both print and digital content. Before joining Chemical Processing, she worked with Manufacturing.net and Electrical Contracting Products. She’s a versatile, award-winning editor with experience in writing and editing technical content, executing marketing strategy, developing new products, attending industry events and developing customer relationships.
Amanda graduated from Northern Illinois University in 2001 with a B.A. in English and has been an English teacher. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and daughter, and their mini Aussiedoodle, Riley. In her rare spare time, she enjoys reading, tackling DIY projects, and horseback riding.
