KENTECH and MIT Launch Joint Research to Achieve Over 3% Efficiency in Artificial Photosynthesis

Consultation on International Joint Research between MIT and 'Artificial Photosynthesis-Based CO₂ Liquid Fuel Conversion'.

Korea Institute of Energy Technology (KENTECH) announced on July 3 that it has signed an international joint research agreement with Professor Yang Shao-Horn's research team at MIT in the United States, aiming to achieve a solar-powered CO₂-to-liquid fuel conversion efficiency of over 3%. The university stated that full-scale research will now begin.

This international joint research is supported by the Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology (KEIT) and is led by Professor Kang Youngsoo's research team from KENTECH's Department of Energy Engineering and Professor Yang Shao-Horn's research team at MIT. The research period will span a total of three years, until March 31, 2028. The two teams will cooperate closely through regular research exchanges, meetings, and mutual laboratory visits to conduct the joint research.

The ultimate goal of this research is to raise the efficiency of 'artificial photosynthesis' technology?which converts carbon dioxide into high-value-added liquid fuels such as methanol using only solar energy?to over 3%. This is considered an innovative technology that could provide a direct solution to climate change and global warming. If successful, the research is expected to make a significant contribution to achieving the Paris Agreement target of reducing carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by 37% by 2030.

This joint research is based on the latest findings from Professor Yang Shao-Horn's team, who were the first in the world to identify the importance of water (H₂O) structure around catalytic active sites in determining chemical reaction rates (Nature Catalysis, paper title: CO₂-to-methanol electroconversion on a molecular cobalt catalyst facilitated by acidic cations, July 2024). Building on this, the KENTECH research team plans to optimize the catalytic reaction by adjusting the type and concentration (pH) of electrolytes and to maximize liquid fuel production efficiency by elucidating the reaction mechanism using real-time analysis technology.

Kang Youngsoo, professor at KENTECH, said, "Through this international joint research with Professor Yang Shao-Horn's team, we will do our utmost to solve the challenges in the field of artificial photosynthesis and secure core technologies to accelerate the realization of a carbon-neutral society. By combining the research capabilities of both institutions, we will produce research outcomes that lead the response to climate change."