The chemical reactions that make methanol from carbon dioxide rely on a catalyst to speed up the conversion, and scientists identified a new material that could fill this role. With its unique structure, this catalyst can capture and convert carbon dioxide in a way that ultimately saves energy.

These coffin-shaped growths make up one variety of porous materials called zeolites. An international team of scientists discovered that when aluminum atoms in the material cluster in the overlapping intersections of these sub-units, zeolites lose their ability to convert oil to gasoline and other chemicals.Credit: PNNL
Despite decades of industrial use, …