From CO₂ in the air to raw material for cement
June 9, 2025 – Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a method to turn carbon dioxide – an industrial waste product that pollutes the atmosphere – into something useful: precursors for cement production. Chemist Charles McCrory and his research team, in collaboration with the University of California, Davis and the University of California, Los Angeles, have created a technique to capture CO₂ and convert it into metal oxalates. These compounds can then serve as raw materials for making cement.
Metal oxalates, which are simple salts, appear to be viable alternatives as cement precursors. Scientists have known that lead can act as a catalyst – a substance that accelerates chemical reactions – to convert CO₂ into metal oxalates. However, the process traditionally requires large amounts of lead catalysts, posing risks to both the environment and human health.
To address this, the research team used polymers to control the immediate environment around the lead catalysts. This allowed them to reduce the amount of lead needed for the process to just a few parts per billion.
The results of the study were recently published in in Advanced Energy Materials under the title:
‘Selective Electrochemical Reduction of CO₂ to Metal Oxalates in Nonaqueous Solutions Using Trace Metal Pb on Carbon Supports Enhanced by a Tailored Microenvironment.’
