Even supposing it is less abundant than carbon dioxide, methane gasoline contributes disproportionately to world warming. Its molecular constructing of single carbon atoms certain to four hydrogen atoms makes it a potentially invaluable constructing block for products that will presumably well presumably shield this carbon out of the environment, but it without a doubt’s exhausting to rating it to react with moderately just a few molecules under smartly-liked prerequisites.

Now a catalyst designed by MIT chemical engineer Michael Strano and colleagues might well presumably well presumably succor resolve that enviornment.

The catalyst has two formula. The first, a mineral known as a zeolite, converts methane to methanol. The 2d, a natural enzyme known as alcohol oxidase, converts the methanol to formaldehyde. With the addition of urea, a nitrogen-containing molecule chanced on in urine, the formaldehyde might well presumably well even be modified into a polymer extinct in particleboard, textiles, and fairly just a few products.

The researchers narrate this catalyst might well presumably well presumably act to seal cracks in pipes transporting natural gasoline, a smartly-liked source of methane leakage. It might well per chance presumably well presumably even be extinct to coat surfaces which might well be exposed to methane gasoline, producing polymers that will seemingly be serene for use in manufacturing.

“Other programs operate at hot temperature and high stress,” says MIT postdoc Jimin Kim, lead author with Daniel Lundberg, PhD ’24, of a paper on the work. That takes money and energy. However, she says, “I maintain our machine might well be very cost-efficient and scalable.”