A team of scientists has brought us one step closer to turning CO2 pollution into clean, high-energy fuel by tweaking nickel.

In a study led by researchers from the National University of Singapore and ETH Zürich, scientists created a new kind of nickel catalyst that’s been “doped” with fluorine.

It’s kind of like giving nickel a little chemical superpower. The doped nickel then helps guide CO2 through a special reaction path — building branched and long-chain hydrocarbon fuel that burns better and works great in engines, especially for planes and cars.

Unlike traditional copper catalysts (which often fizzle out with short chains or alcohols), this improved nickel can grow longer, more complex chains of hydrocarbons by getting carbon-based bits like *CO and *CH₂ to pair up in the right way.

By studying how these reactions happen using tricks like pulsed electricity or adding formaldehyde, the team learned how to nudge the reaction toward making the desired high-quality fuel.

This discovery could help us create greener fuels directly from CO₂, making our energy cleaner and stronger.

More like this: Ask the experts: What’s the future of hydrocarbons in an increasingly green world?