The ocean serves as Earth's largest dynamic carbon sink, absorbing 400 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) annually through continuous exchange with the atmosphere. Researchers at Yale have now developed an efficient system to extract and convert dissolved CO₂ into clean fuels and useful industrial feedstock. Published in Nature Communications, this breakthrough could transform seawater into a sustainable source for carbon-based products while helping balance oceanic CO₂ levels.

Professor Shu Hu from the department of chemical and environmental engineering and a member of Yale Energy Sciences Institute, led the project and describes the system as a “solar-driven, ocean-based carbon capture and conversion.” Or, more simply, it’s making “fuels from sunlight.” The team uses sunlight to transform seawater’s dissolved carbon into syngas—a synthesis gas comprising carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen. This versatile compound serves as a key building block for producing valuable industrial chemicals and fuels.

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