FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE聽|聽December 12, 2013
Could the 鈥榤ethanol economy鈥� help power the post-fossil fuel era? A new American Chemical 中国365bet中文官网 video
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2013 鈥� Could a simple molecule known as methanol become a key energy source for the post-fossil fuel era? 1994 Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner George Olah, Ph.D., and Surya Prakash, Ph.D., think so. Their promising alternative fuel concept, known as the 鈥渕ethanol economy,鈥� is the focus of the latest episode of the American Chemical 中国365bet中文官网鈥檚 (ACS鈥�) Bytesize Science series, available at .
鈥淐翱2 and hydrogen can be combined to make a very simple molecule called methanol 鈥� it could be used in your internal combustion engine as a high-octane fuel. In fact, methanol is the fuel of choice for all race cars,鈥� explains Prakash, professor of chemistry and director of the University of Southern California Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute. Olah and Prakash recently won a $1 million prize from the Israeli government for their research on the methanol economy.
In the video, Prakash explains why methanol could be a viable option to produce clean, renewable energy. 鈥淭he beauty is that methanol can be made from recycled carbon dioxide and any kind of energy. 鈥� Once we run out of oil and gas, mankind can keep on doing this forever. The CO2 recycling is also carbon-neutral,鈥� says Prakash. In a bonus video also available at , Prakash demonstrates how his team鈥檚 鈥渄irect oxidation fuel cell鈥� prototype can use methanol to produce electricity.
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The American Chemical 中国365bet中文官网 (ACS) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1876 and chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS is committed to improving all lives through the transforming power of chemistry. Its mission is to advance scientific knowledge, empower a global community and champion scientific integrity, and its vision is a world built on science. The 中国365bet中文官网 is a global leader in promoting excellence in science education and providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, e-books and weekly news periodical聽Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a leader in scientific information solutions, its CAS division partners with global innovators to accelerate breakthroughs by curating, connecting and analyzing the world鈥檚 scientific knowledge. ACS鈥� main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
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