Scientists use a Manganese Catalyst to turn CO2 into clean fuel 

Scientists designed manganese catalysts that are highly efficient at converting carbon dioxide (CO₂) into formate, which has strong potential as a clean energy source in fuel cells.  

Manganese (Mn) is a brittle, silvery-grey transition metal that can be found in the first row of the periodic table. As the fifth most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust, it presents an inexpensive alternative to precious metal catalysts such as rhodium and platinum. 

The process of hydrogenation uses a catalyst to combine CO₂ with hydrogen to produce useful fuels and chemicals such as methanol, methane and formate.  

The biggest hurdle has been finding a suitable catalyst, as the process is highly inefficient, converting less than 20% of CO₂(g) into the desired product. Transition metals make ideal catalysts as they are inexpensive, abundant and sustainable, but they have very short working lifespans as they break down easily.   

Recently, a study between scientists at Yale University and the University of Missouri found that manganese catalysts used for hydrogenation could be stabilised by altering the molecular structure. Manganese catalysts have a ‘pincer’ structure; by adding another molecule, scientists were able to significantly extend the lifespan.  

“I’m excited to see the ligand design pay off in such a meaningful way,” says Justin Wedal, a researcher at Yale.  

Although formate is already manufactured at an industrial level, production currently relies on fossil fuels, making the process unsustainable.  

The formate acts as a source of hydrogen, and fuel cells turn chemical energy from the hydrogen into electricity. Hydrogen fuel cells have a lot of potential but industrial adoption is limited due to the difficulty of producing and storing hydrogen.  

Researchers point out that hydrogenating CO₂ to make formate could be a sustainable way to generate energy from waste greenhouse gases. 

By Marina Milsum, May 8, 2026.

Edited by Kazuma Oura.