Turning CO2 Into Useful Products: The Role of Catalysts in Protecting Our Planet.

Climate change is one of the biggest problems our planet faces, caused by too many greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. The most important GHG produced by humans is carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). To slow down global warming, we need to reach net zero CO 2 emissions by balancing the amount of CO 2 we release with the amount we remove. One exciting way to help us to do this is by turning CO 2 , often seen as waste, into useful products and energy. To make this possible, scientists use special substances called catalysts. In this article we show how some amazing materials like zeolites and OMS (ordered mesoporous silica) can act as catalysts to help transform CO 2 into valuable products and energy, opening up a new way to protect our planet and helping to fight climate change.