Novel Catalyst for Improved CO2 Conversion Efficiency

According to a study published in Nature, a team led by Professor Xile Hu at EPFL has developed a novel catalyst that significantly improves the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of carbon dioxide (CO₂) conversion.

While the need to reduce CO₂ emissions is widely acknowledged, an alternative approach is to convert greenhouse gases into valuable chemicals or fuels. Electrochemical CO₂ conversion—transforming CO₂ into valuable products—offers a promising pathway toward cleaner energy and reduced emissions. However, most current methods are either energy-intensive or short-lived, limiting their practical use.

For example, low-temperature CO₂ conversion often lasts fewer than 100 hours and achieves energy efficiencies below 35 %. High-temperature methods (600 to 1,000 °C) are more practical but typically rely on expensive precious metals or catalysts that degrade quickly.

To make the process viable, researchers need an efficient, durable, and affordable catalyst capable of converting CO₂ into valuable compounds like carbon monoxide, a critical feedstock in many industrial applications.

The team at EPFL developed such a catalyst by embedding a cobalt–nickel (Co–Ni) alloy inside a ceramic matrix made of samarium-doped cerium oxide (Sm₂O₃–CeO₂.). This ceramic shell prevents metal agglomeration—a common issue that reduces catalytic efficiency—and ensures stability at high temperatures.

The catalyst demonstrated remarkable performance: 90 % energy efficiency, 100 % product selectivity, and stable operation for over 2,000 hours, far surpassing the longevity of existing technologies.

Wenchao Ma, the study’s first author and a postdoctoral researcher at EPFL, used a sol–gel method to synthesize the material. This technique involves mixing metal salts with organic compounds to produce nanoclusters of metal wrapped in a ceramic shell. After testing different metal ratios, the team found that a balanced cobalt–nickel composition delivered the best results.

Unlike conventional catalysts that degrade rapidly under thermal stress, the ceramic-encapsulated alloy retained its performance over hundreds of hours of continuous operation. At 800 °C, the catalyst achieved complete selectivity for carbon monoxide production, converting CO₂ with exceptional energy efficiency, meaning nearly all the input energy was directed toward the desired chemical reaction.

This advancement brings practical, scalable carbon recycling a step closer to reality. Rather than emitting CO₂ into the atmosphere, industries could recycle it into useful products, simultaneously reducing environmental impact and lowering energy costs.

The EPFL team’s catalyst operated stably under industrially relevant conditions for more than 2,000 hours, a major improvement that, according to early estimates, could translate into a 60–80 % reduction in operational costs.

The researchers have filed an international patent application for the technology, which represents a promising step toward industrial systems that recycle carbon emissions as routinely as paper or plastic.

Other Contributors

• Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ-CERCA)
• National Taiwan University
• Technical University of Denmark

Journal Reference:

Ma, W., et al. (2025). Encapsulated Co–Ni alloy boosts high-temperature CO₂ electroreduction. Nature. doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08978-0