Multistep catalytic abiotic CO₂ conversion to sugars through C₁ intermediates.

Area of Science:

• Sustainable Chemistry
• Catalysis
• Carbon Capture and Utilization

Background:

• Carbon dioxide (CO2) upgrading is crucial for sustainable chemical production and emission reduction.
• Efficient conversion of CO2 into valuable multicarbon (Cn) products remains a significant research challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a flexible, modular roadmap for CO2 conversion into sugar precursors.
• To utilize sequential electro-, photo-, and organocatalysis for efficient CO2 valorization.

Main Methods:

• Electrochemical reduction of CO2 to methanol in a flow cell.
• Discontinuous photooxidation of methanol to formaldehyde (PMOR) with high selectivity.
• Organocatalysis using N-heterocyclic carbene for tunable aldose generation.

Main Results:

• Achieved 60-80% carbon conversion yield for pentose, tetrose, and triose mixtures.
• Generated C4-C6 aldoses with high selectivity and minimal byproducts.
• Demonstrated over 20% yield for hexose production.

Conclusions:

• The proposed roadmap offers a viable strategy for CO2 valorization.
• This approach bridges carbon waste streams with sustainable sugar synthesis.
• Opens new avenues for green chemical production and artificial food synthesis.