Monash University has opened an ambitious new research hub focused solely on technologies to transform carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into useful products.
The Australian Research Council (ARC) Research Hub for Carbon Utilisation and Recycling (RECARB) was officially launched by The Hon. Cassandra Fernando MP, Federal Member for Holt, on behalf of The Hon. Jason Clare MP, Minister for Education at Monash University’s Clayton campus.
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Through a collaboration of international and national universities and industry partners RECARB will develop technologies to transform carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the energy and manufacturing sectors into useful products. The Hub will also develop the markets for the carbon embedded products.
Led by director Professor Paul Webley and deputy director Professor Akshat Tanksale, the RECARB Hub will focus on the development of improved, low cost, scalable and green methods for the conversion of CO2 to intermediate and high value products.
Research will cover electrochemical, thermochemical and biological technologies. This will include research into the innovative direct air capture technology (DAC) for CO2 recycling. DAC offers a sustainable source of this greenhouse gas that can be harnessed to benefit agriculture and, more importantly, transformed into valuable products.
Within the energy and chemical manufacturing sectors, Plasmonics is emerging as a transformative field in the realm of sustainable chemistry, offering exciting possibilities for the photochemical conversion of CO2 into valuable chemicals.
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At the heart of this innovative approach lies the exploration of novel multifunctional metal plasmonic nanomaterials, which promise to revolutionise the way solar energy is harnessed to drive these chemical transformations.
The hub is supported by the ARC with $5 million, along with a further $5.8 million from universities and industry partners and $11.8 million in-kind contributions.
