Yale and Missouri Reveal a Manganese-Based Catalyst that Makes Formate
Edited by Debra John — February 10, 2026 — Tech
This article was written with the assistance of AI.
References: sciencedaily
Researchers at Yale University and the University of Missouri introduced a manganese-based catalyst that converts carbon dioxide into formate, featuring a redesigned ligand with an extra donor atom that stabilizes the metal center. The work, published in Chem, presented a low-cost alternative to precious-metal systems with extended operational lifetime.
The team included lead authors Justin Wedal and Kyler Virtue and senior authors Nilay Hazari and Wesley Bernskoetter. The redesigned catalyst design improved longevity and enabled manganese to outperform many pricier metals in converting CO2 to formate, a hydrogen carrier. The study noted formate’s role as a practical hydrogen source for fuel cells and explained that formic acid is already produced industrially.
For consumers and industry, the advance points toward cheaper, more sustainable routes to store and deploy hydrogen, aligning carbon-utilization and clean-energy trends by turning a greenhouse gas into a usable fuel feedstock.
Image Credit: ScienceDaily
The team included lead authors Justin Wedal and Kyler Virtue and senior authors Nilay Hazari and Wesley Bernskoetter. The redesigned catalyst design improved longevity and enabled manganese to outperform many pricier metals in converting CO2 to formate, a hydrogen carrier. The study noted formate’s role as a practical hydrogen source for fuel cells and explained that formic acid is already produced industrially.
For consumers and industry, the advance points toward cheaper, more sustainable routes to store and deploy hydrogen, aligning carbon-utilization and clean-energy trends by turning a greenhouse gas into a usable fuel feedstock.
Image Credit: ScienceDaily
Trend Themes
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Low-cost Earth-abundant Catalysts — A manganese-based system demonstrates the potential to replace precious metals with cheaper, widely available metals that lower capital intensity for catalytic CO2 conversion.
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Co2-to-formate Conversion — The emergence of efficient pathways to turn carbon dioxide into formate reframes CO2 from waste to a valuable chemical feedstock and hydrogen carrier.
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Ligand-enabled Catalyst Longevity — Redesigned ligands that stabilize metal centers point to catalyst architectures that significantly extend operational lifetime and reduce replacement frequency.
Industry Implications
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Renewable Energy Storage — Formate production from CO2 offers a liquid, storable hydrogen vector that could alter the economics of seasonal and grid-scale energy storage solutions.
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Chemical Manufacturing — Integration of CO2-derived formate into existing formic acid supply chains suggests opportunities to displace fossil-derived carbon inputs and lower feedstock costs.
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Automotive Fuel Cells — Formate-compatible fuel cell systems imply a shift toward onboard or refuel-station liquid carriers that reduce reliance on compressed hydrogen infrastructure.
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