CO2 Emission Reduction and CO2 Fixation on the Ground by Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide as an Alternative to Organic Solvents

Abstract

In the chemical industry, the majority of chemical products are organic compounds. In many organic chemical industries, most organic compounds are produced in organic solvents because organic compounds are rarely soluble in water. After use, solvents are incinerated and discharged as carbon dioxide into the air. Therefore, the use of supercritical carbon dioxide in place of traditional organic solvents could reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In organic synthesis, carbon-carbon bond formation reactions are the most important reactions, which are conducted in organic solvents and incinerated and discharged as carbon dioxide in the air after the use. The carbon dioxide fixation reactions have been developed as carbon-carbon bond formation reactions to produce carboxylic acids and esters in supercritical carbon dioxide, in place of traditional organic solvents. These reactions in supercritical carbon dioxide are more effective than that of the reaction in organic solvents. These technologies can replace the traditional reactions in organic solvents and contribute to carbon dioxide emission reduction.