Helicenes are the ‘first true organic electrocatalyst’ for carbon dioxide reduction
Bio-inspired molecules accelerate catalytic carbon dioxide reduction and offer advantages in stability and tuneability
Helicene electrocatalysts offer a metal-free way to convert carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals. The catalysts drive the process up to 1000 times faster than other organic compounds and represent ‘the first example of a true organic electrocatalyst for carbon dioxide reduction’, according to the researchers who developed them.
The team led by Joyanta Choudhury at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Bhopal, found inspiration in the way plants convert carbon dioxide into carbohydrates. ‘Our synthetic molecules mimic the NADP/NADPH system, [in terms of] the central pyridine ring structure and function,’ he explains.