Knowridge: Scientists turn greenhouse gas into plastics
UC engineering professor is developing new ways of making in-demand chemical
Knowridge Science Report highlighted a University of Cincinnati engineer's innovative methods to convert carbon dioxide into ethylene, a chemical compound that is used in diverse manufacturing processes around the world.
Associate Professor Jingjie Wu in UC's College of Engineering and Applied Science and his research partners developed an efficient method for converting carbon dioxide to ethylene, a key ingredient in plastics and many other uses.
Ethylene has been called “the world’s most important chemical,” used in everything from textiles to antifreeze to vinyl. The chemical industry generated 225 million metric tons of ethylene in 2022.
Wu said the process holds promise for one day producing ethylene through green energy instead of fossil fuels. It has the added benefit of removing carbon from the atmosphere.
His research team's findings were published in the journal Nature Chemical Engineering.
UC chemical engineering in the news
In his chemical engineering lab, Associate Professor Jingjie Wu is refining a process that converts carbon dioxide into ethylene. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand
- Technology Networks: Conversion turns greenhouse gas into ethylene
- Chemical Processing: UC researchers ID path to more efficient ethylene production
- AZO Cleantech: A system that is more effective in handling climate change
Related Stories
Love it or raze it?
February 20, 2026
An architectural magazine covered the demolition of UC's Crosley Tower.
Social media linked to student loneliness
February 20, 2026
Inside Higher Education highlighted a new study by the University of Cincinnati that found that college students across the country who spent more time on social media reported feeling more loneliness.
Before the medals: The science behind training for freezing mountain air
February 19, 2026
From freezing temperatures to thin mountain air, University of Cincinnati exercise physiologist Christopher Kotarsky, PhD, explained how cold and altitude impact Olympic performance in a recent WLWT-TV/Ch. 5 news report.