Research Projects

The single step conversion of CO₂ from coal power plant flue gas to dimethyl ether (DME) is a significant technology in the power-to-liquids context. DME is considered the cleanest substitute for diesel due to its high cetane number and is a promising raw material for hydrocarbon production and hydrogen production. This technology not only addresses global climate change by capturing anthropogenic CO₂ emissions but also offers a valorization platform for fuels and valuable chemicals. The proposed project aims to demonstrate a technological route to convert simulated flue gas to DME using laboratory synthesized bifunctional materials with H₂ from electrolysis of water. The catalytic materials will be screened for single step conversion using a lab-designed high pressure reactor, keeping the GHSV high to mimic the exhaust stream of a power plant. The reaction parameters like temperature, pressure, and feed ratio will be optimized to obtain a high DME to CH₃OH ratio. The project aims to significantly advance the single step conversion of flue gas to DME technology, readying it for scale-up and commercialization. Key technical and economic risks will be addressed, and high-fidelity techno-economic-analysis and life-cycle-analysis models will be developed to evaluate the economic and environmental benefits of the proposed process. The advantages of the proposed projects include superior CO₂ conversion and single step DME production, integrated CO₂ capture from power plant flue gas, valorization with 'green' H₂, and simple, packed bed operation enabled by smart bifunctional catalysts. Successful completion of the project will debottle remaining challenges for flue gas to DME and push it towards practical implementations.