Research on new technologies to synthesize fuels and chemicals that our society needs is very exciting and rewarding, and the group frequently asked by students: “How do I get started with this field?”

Professor Barecka is working on the development of some “get started” videos that will covered these points:

• Understanding of the carbon cycle – how carbon cycles in the environment, and what are the related challenges and opportunities.
• Nature-inspired solutions for separating CO₂ and converting it into chemical building blocks: CO₂ capture in the oceans and natural reservoirs, reforestation.
• Industrial methods for CO₂ capture and concentration.
• What else can we do with waste emissions? CO₂ valorization to fuels and chemicals by electrocatalysis.
• How we can increase the resilience of our supply chain and energy security with new technologies such as CO2R?

In the meantime, here are some references that might help you build up a general understanding of the topics listed above:

How to recycle CO₂ emissions within the chemical plants: Barecka, M. H.; Ager, J. W.; Lapkin, A. A. Carbon Neutral Manufacturing via On-Site CO₂ Recycling. iScience 2021, 24 (6), 102514. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2021.102514

Vision for the implementation of electrochemical waste valorization on a large scale: de Brito Dorneles, E. C., Van Fossen, K., Li, A., Barecka, M. H. Waste oxidation as a pathway to energy-efficient electrochemical processes. Chem Catalysis 2025, 5 (6), 101392, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.checat.2025.101392

Image generated with Adobe Firefly