Overview

• The study by Yokohama National University and partners was published on July 14 in ACS Sustainable Resource Management
• Acid pretreatment with hydrochloric acid removes aluminum contaminants and enhances the silicon powder’s electron-donating reactivity toward CO₂
• A direct connection between the reactor and a thermal power plant exhaust stream allowed conversion of 14% CO₂ without any gas purification
• The process achieved formic acid yields of up to 73% and also produced nitrogen-containing formamides when amines were introduced
• By valorizing both end-of-life photovoltaic panels and greenhouse gas emissions, the method exemplifies a circular-economy approach to chemical production