Methanol Converted to Ethanol Using Sunlight

摘要

Methanol is a colourless liquid that can be made from agricultural waste. It has long been considered as a green alternative to fossil fuels. But its main drawback is that it is toxic and can generate only half as much energy as the same volume of petrol. Researchers of McGill University in Montreal, Canada have found a potentially cheap way of converting methanol to ethanol using sunlight and gallium nitride nanowires "spiked" with magnesium as a catalyst. Ethanol is a more popular alternative fuel that is less harmful and packs more energy.