Sonochemical reduction of carbon dioxide

Sonolysis of carbon dioxide dissolved in water was performed from a standpoint of reducing this material in atmosphere. During one hour of sonication, the amount of CO2 decreased to about half at 5°C under CO2–Ar atmosphere. The decreasing rate for CO2 followed the order Ar>He>H2>N2 and it was down with increasing temperature in the range of 5–45°C. The most favorable concentration for reducing CO2 was 0.03 (mole fraction of CO2 in gas phase). This concentration in gas phase means an equal mixture of CO2 and Ar in water, because CO2 is more soluble than Ar. Since carbon dioxide dissolved in water would be partly ionized, the roles of ions on the sonolysis were also examined. Gaseous reaction products were CO, H2 and a small amount of O2. Carbon monoxide and hydrogen might be obtained from CO2 and H2O by sonolysis, respectively. Both gases are fuel and react each other to C1 compounds such as methanol, and so on. Therefore, irradiation of ultrasonic waves should be an important technique for reducing CO2.