Archive · 5 Jan 2026
IIT Guwahati Develops Sunlight-Driven Catalyst for CO₂ to Methanol
Scientists at IIT Guwahati have created a special material that uses sunlight to turn carbon dioxide, a gas that harms the environment, into methanol, a cleaner fuel.
They combined two materials, graphitic carbon nitride and few-layer graphene, to make this work better.
The graphene helps the material keep its energy and work longer under sunlight.
This new technology could be used in big industries like power plants and factories to help reduce pollution and create cleaner energy.
The researchers are now working on making this technology ready for real-world use and improving it to last longer.
IIT Guwahati researchers developed a photocatalytic material to convert CO₂ into methanol using sunlight.
The material combines graphitic carbon nitride with few-layer graphene to minimize energy loss.
The catalyst with 15% graphene showed the most efficient CO₂ to methanol conversion and strong stability.
The technology aims to mitigate environmental problems and contribute to green energy.
Potential applications include thermal power plants, cement manufacturing, steel production, and petrochemical refineries.
- Who
- Researchers at IIT Guwahati led by Professor Mahuya De
- What
- Developed a photocatalytic material to convert CO₂ into methanol using sunlight
- When
- The study was published on January 5
- Where
- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati
- Why
- To address environmental stress and global warming by converting CO₂ into clean fuels
- Institution
- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati
- Research Focus
- Photocatalytic conversion of CO₂ to methanol
- Key Material
- Graphitic carbon nitride combined with few-layer graphene
- Optimal Graphene Content
- 15 weight percentage
- Publication
- Journal of Materials Science
- Potential Applications
- Thermal power plants, cement manufacturing, steel production, petrochemical refineries
- Next Steps
- Scaling the technology for practical use and developing a long-lasting photocatalytic system
