Surrey team develops ‘lab-on-a-chip’ to speed CO₂ conversion for cleaner fuels

Tiny ‘lab-on-a-chip’ devices under development at the University of Surrey aim to reveal, in real time, how complex electrochemical reactions unfold — a step researchers say could accelerate efforts to convert carbon dioxide into useful fuels and chemicals.

The miniature systems use renewable electricity to drive reactions and are initially focused on turning CO₂ into products such as sustainable aviation fuels, ethanol and ethylene — a key building block in plastics and other industrial materials. While CO₂ is widely seen as a major contributor to climate change, scientists are increasingly exploring how to capture and reuse it.

Progress has been slowed by the complexity of the chemistry, which has made optimisation heavily dependent on trial-and-error. Surrey’s devices recreate these processes inside highly controlled, miniature electrochemical systems. Built-in sensors track reactions as they happen, and analytical tools capture large volumes of experimental data — from electrical signals to chemical changes and reaction conditions — simultaneously.

Researchers can then apply artificial intelligence to spot patterns in the data, guiding future experiments and improving performance more efficiently. This level of insight, the team says, could significantly cut the time and cost of discovering new materials for CO₂ conversion, hydrogen production, batteries and fuel cells.

Although the initial focus is CO₂, the same sensing platforms could support advances in batteries, hydrogen systems, ammonia production and environmental monitoring. According to the researchers, the work is already attracting early commercial interest. The team is exploring potential industry applications, including collaboration with companies working in battery materials and energy systems.