Platform feedstock chemicals from global warming gas: a new paradigm in carbon utilization

With climate change accelerating and global carbon emissions reaching high records, the need for carbon dioxide (CO₂) recycling is more urgent than ever. As the global push towards carbon neutrality intensifies, technologies that can convert CO₂ into valuable fuels and chemicals are drawing increasing attention. One such solution is CO₂-to-alcohol conversion, which stands out for its potential in high-value, energy-dense products. However, achieving both high efficiency and industrial-scale production in CO₂-to-alcohol conversion has remained a major challenge.

Of late, a research team led by Professor Dr. Jaeyoung Lee, Dr. Minjun Choi, and Dr. Sooan Bae from Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), South Korea, introduced a groundbreaking strategy for CO₂-to-alcohol conversion that achieves unprecedented performance and production scale—setting a new global benchmark in CO₂ conversion efficiency. Published online in Nature Catalysis on May 22, 2025, the study unveils an electrochemical conversion technology that can produce the high value-added compound ‘allyl alcohol’ from CO₂. The findings of the study were also highlighted in Volume 8 of News & Views of Nature Catalysis.

Electrochemical reduction technology of CO₂ is a key technology in the carbon-neutral era that could convert CO₂ (the main culprit of global warming) into useful substances. However, selectively producing high value-added compounds with three or more carbon atoms, such as allyl alcohol, poses several challenges. Firstly, current methods enable very low Faraday efficiency—less than 15% of the electrical energy used actually goes into producing the desired compound while the rest is wasted. Secondly, the reaction path is complex and the intermediates have low stability, adding to the inefficiency of the process.

“Allyl alcohol (C₃H₆O) is a very useful substance that can be used in various chemical reactions,” explains Prof. Lee, "But producing these high value-added compounds in liquid state is difficult due to the complex carbon-carbon (C–C) bond formation and the low stability of the reaction intermediate”.

The technology developed by the researchers was remarkable. The team created a phosphorus-rich copper catalyst by integrating copper phosphide (CuP₂) into a membrane-electrode assembly alongside a nickel–iron (NiFe) oxidation catalyst. Using this catalyst in the electrochemical setup, they achieved a Faraday efficiency of 66.9%, which is about 4 times higher than the existing best technology (<15%). This high efficiency proves the excellent selectivity of the catalyst that minimizes the production of unnecessary byproducts and selectively produces only the desired substance.

In addition, the technology also recorded a partial current density of 735.4 mA cm⁻² and a production rate of 1643 μmol cm⁻² h⁻¹ in a process that can apply 1100 mA cm⁻² per unit area of ​​the electrode. These metrics represent the highest reported performance to date and also underscore its potential for large-scale applications. As allyl alcohol is used as an essential raw material across various industries as plastics, adhesives, sterilizers, and fragrances, this technology could be a game-changer for its mass production.

Furthermore, the method was also unique in its mechanism. Where conventional methods operate through carbon monoxide pathway, this method revealed a new reaction pathway in which the carbon-carbon (C–C) bond was formed during the conversion of an intermediate group from formate to formaldehyde. This mechanism greatly increases the commercial value of the product because it directly produces liquids which are easier to store and transport.

This technology marks a breakthrough in the carbon neutrality era and is expected to open new avenues for economical electrochemical carbon capture and utilization technology by selectively converting CO₂ which has only one carbon atom into allyl alcohol, a multi-carbon high value-added compound (C₃₊) with three or more carbon atoms.

“This CO₂ conversion technology could open new business directions for the coal, petrochemical, and steel industries which are facing growing emission pressures,” emphasizes Prof. Dr. Lee “We see it as a key stepping stone toward a carbon-neutral era through scalable science and technology.”

By shifting the focus beyond conventional C₁ and C₂ targets, the study broadens the scope of CO₂ valorization toward more complex, higher‐value molecules. Dr. Choi clarified that while the approach holds promise, further integration into continuous‐flow and zero-gap membrane‐electrode assembly systems might enable scalable, sustainable production of liquid fuels and chemical precursors from CO₂—significantly reducing the reliance on fossil fuels and paving the way to a greener future.

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Reference

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41929-025-01341-6

About Dr. Minjun Choi (First Author)

Minjun Choi is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), United States. Dr. Choi received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in the Department of Environment and Energy Engineering from GIST in 2018 and 2019, respectively. He received his Ph.D. also from GIST in 2023 under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Jaeyoung Lee and did his postdoctoral research at Ertl Center for Electrochemistry and Catalysis. He has been conducting his research at UIUC since 2024. His research interests include water/CO₂ electrolysis, and in-situ analysis for mechanistic studies of electrochemical reactions.

About Dr. Sooan Bae (Second Author)

Sooan Bae is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Fuel Cell Research Center, KIST, South Korea. Sooan Bae received her Ph.D. in the Department of Environment and Energy Engineering from GIST in 2024 under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Jaeyoung Lee and did her postdoctoral research at Ertl Center for Electrochemistry and Catalysis. Her research interests include electrocatalyst and MEA structure for pure-water-fed water electrolysis and Fe-based catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline media.

About Professor Dr. Jaeyoung Lee (Corresponding Author)

Jaeyoung Lee is a Professor at the Ertl Center for Electrochemistry and Catalysis, Department of Environment and Energy Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), South Korea. Dr. Lee received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in the Department of Chemical Engineering from Inha University in 1996 and 1998, respectively. He received his doctoral degree from Fritz-Haber-Institut der MPG (Supervisor: Gerhard Ertl, 2007 Nobel Laureate) and FU Berlin, Germany in 2001 and worked as a Senior Researcher at RIST/KIST in South Korea until 2007. He joined GIST in 2007. His research interests include electrocatalysis, platform chemicals from CO₂, fuel cells, Li-SqASS battery, water/NH₃ Electrolysis, machine intelligence, and electrode architecture.

About Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), South Korea

Established in 1993 in the city of Gwangju, the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) is one of South Korea's leading research-oriented universities. GIST is a member of the research-oriented universities group consisting of GIST-KAIST-POSTECH-DGIST-UNIST and is committed to advancing scientific knowledge and fostering innovation through cutting-edge research and high-quality education. GIST prioritizes research and development, with a strong emphasis on training highly skilled scientists and researchers, and encourages collaboration and interdisciplinary research, with state-of-the-art facilities and collaborative spaces.

Website: https://www.gist.ac.kr/en/main.html

Funding information:

This work was supported by a National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government (MSIT) (NRF-2021K1A4A8A01079455). This research was also supported by the NRF, funded by MSIT (RS-2021-NR060081).