Berkeley researchers observe real-time conversion of CO2 to solid carbon

Researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California, Berkeley, have successfully observed the real-time conversion of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into solid carbon within a 500°C reactor.

By utilizing advanced microscopy and spectroscopy inside a high-temperature electrochemical environment, the team was able to witness the chemical mechanism as it occurred, rather than deducing it after the reaction. The study, published in Nature Communications, identified a signal consistent with the peroxide ion (O₂²⁻) during the electrochemical reduction process. This suggests that oxygen chemistry is activated before the visible growth of solid carbon deposits.