Abstract
Recent advances in modular nuclear reactors facilitate the use of irradiation to produce fuels and chemicals using anthropogenic CO2. One of the challenges in CO2 conversion reactions is the stability or low reactivity of CO2. Chemical activation of CO2 via thermochemical or electrochemical approaches contributes to the high energy intensity of CO2 conversion reactions. Activation of the CO2 molecule via irradiation at significantly lower temperatures may now allow us to use heterogeneous CO2-bearing waste gas streams and renewable nuclear energy resources to produce high value chemicals and fuels in a distributed manner. In this paper, we review the radiolytic behavior of CO2, irradiation pathways relevant for producing fuels and chemicals using CO2, technological advances and research directions for advancing radiolytic conversion of CO2 to chemicals and fuels.
Highlights
Energy security and climate change are two of humankind’s primary concerns in the twenty-first century
A specific example is the Adam-Eva Process (Höhlein et al, 1981) which involves the use of heat from a High Temperature Gascooled Nuclear Reactor, to drive an endothermic reaction, through the Eva halfcycle of the process
As can be deduced from the previous discussion, early studies of the radiolysis of CO2 focused mainly on gas phase reactions, though some effort was devoted to ice, as well
Summary
Energy security and climate change are two of humankind’s primary concerns in the twenty-first century. In addition to its attribute of being an energy source with low carbon emissions, nuclear energy produces a unique combination of energy types that can be used for chemical transformations, such as ionizing radiation, electrons, and heat. A specific example is the Adam-Eva Process (Höhlein et al, 1981) which involves the use of heat from a High Temperature Gascooled Nuclear Reactor, to drive an endothermic reaction (steam reforming of methane to produce a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, synthesis gas or syngas), through the Eva halfcycle of the process. The concept of a bioeconomy involves the use of carbon-based renewable feedstocks obtained from biological resources of plant or animal origin as well as wastes of renewable origin, which are processed in a mechanical, biomechanical or thermal, and chemical manner to produce fuels, chemicals, bioproducts, food, and fodder as well as cosmetics and medicines (Adamowicz, 2017) (Figure 5). The radiolytic behavior of CO2 in gas, supercritical and solid states is discussed
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