Czech researchers from Charles University, Prague, led by Pavla Eliášová, have developed an advanced photocathode that helps convert the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into pure ethanol using sunlight. The new technology solves a long-standing problem of material degradation in water, achieves record conversion efficiency, and opens the way toward sustainable production of green fuels.Converting carbon dioxide (CO2) into useful fuels using solar energy represents the holy grail of modern green chemistry. The device enabling this conversion is called a solar reactor. Its key element is a photocathode: a material that absorbs light and enables the chemical reaction. Cuprous oxide long appeared to be an ideal material because it is inexpensive, readily available, and excels at capturing solar rays. In practice, however, it faced a fundamental obstacle: in an aqueous environment under light, it transforms and degrades extremely rapidly—much like iron undergoing swift corrosion—and loses its functionality within just tens of minutes.The team from the Chemistry Section of the Faculty of Science, CU, led by Pavla Eliášová, in collaboration with Tomáš Hrbek from the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, CU, resolved this issue by creating a unique "nano-sandwich". The scientists combined cuprous oxide with advanced two-dimensional materials called MXenes and, through precisely controlled heating, created an ultrathin layer of titanium dioxide on their surface. MXene modified in this way can rapidly drain electric charge from the cuprous oxide, thereby slowing down its decomposition. At the same time, it uses the charge further to convert carbon dioxide into liquid fuel."Surface-engineered MXene combined with cuprous oxide allowed us to unite the best of both materials. The copper base enables maximum utilization of light energy, while the conductive MXene framework ensures that the material remains active even after many hours of operation," explains research team leader Pavla Eliášová from the Chemistry Section of the Faculty of Science, Charles University.In laboratory tests, the new photocathode achieved a record solar-energy-to-ethanol conversion efficiency of 2,74 %. A crucial improvement is the formation of only a single product. While other systems often produce a mixture of byproducts, the material designed by the research team produces pure ethanol as its sole liquid product, which significantly simplifies its potential industrial application."This is a major step forward for us. On our laboratory scale, the system works very well and produces ethanol over many hours. In the next step, we want to further reinforce the stability of the entire photocathode and begin testing on a larger scale and under real daylight conditions," adds physical chemist Pavla Eliášová.The research was conducted within the international European project DESIRED (Horizon Europe), with support from the Charles University Research Centre (UNCE) and the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science program.<blockquote><h4>Article</h4><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aenm.71469">Surface-Engineered Ti3C2Tx MXene/Cu2O Photocathodes for Highly Selective Photoelectrocatalytic CO2 Reduction to Ethanol</a></h4>Luis A. M. Carrascosa, Magdaléna Linková, Monika Remzová, Tomáš Hrbek, Pavla EliášováAdv. Energy Mater., 2026, 16, e71469<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.71469">https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.71469</a><h6>licenced under <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC-BY 4.0</a></h6></blockquote><h4>Abstract</h4>Cu2O is an inexpensive p-type semiconductor that promotes the photoelectrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (PEC CO2RR). While its low bandgap enables photoexcitation by visible light, long-term stability remains limited due to quick charge recombination and photocorrosion. Here, we enhanced charge separation and extraction by combining Cu2O with surface-engineered MXenes. In this novel architecture, TiO2 grows in situ on the surface of Ti3C2Tx and serves as a charge-transport layer, forming a junction with Cu2O. On the other side, the outer TiO2 surface exposed to the CO2-saturated electrolyte offers catalytically active sites for CO2 reduction. Acting as a central layer, the MXene conductive backbone provides an electronically continuous pathway for electron transport. In PEC CO2RR, the photocathode containing 50 wt.% of MXene and a balanced amount of TiO2 on the Ti3C2 surface outperformed the best Cu/CuxO-based systems operating in non-organic electrolytes reported in the literature. The FTO/Cu2O/ml-Ti3C2Tx-350-N2 photocathode reached 8.4&nbsp;µmol&nbsp;cm−2 h−1 ethanol production rate and 2.74% solar-to-ethanol efficiency after 2&nbsp;h. Moreover, pairing TiO2-MXene with Cu2O significantly stabilized the photocathode, which maintained 76% of the ethanol production rate after 6 h. Overall, our results establish surface-engineered Cu2O/TiO2-MXene heterostructures as a solid platform for highly selective, visible-light-driven ethanol production with significantly improved operational stability.

Researchers from Charles University, Prague, Have Developed a New Photocathode for Efficient Conversion of CO2 into Ethanol

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ProtiFi Si-Trap 96-well Mini Kit for Multi-Omics Sample Preparation

ProtiFi Si-Trap 96-well Mini Kit prepares proteins, metabolites, and optional lipids from one sample. It processes 25–200 µg protein per well and generates fractions suitable for downstream LC-MS analysis.

ProtiFi Si-Trap™ 96-well Mini Kit is a 96-well multi-omics sample-preparation system designed to separate and capture multiple classes of biomolecules from a single biological sample for downstream protein, metabolite, and lipid analysis. The kit processes samples corresponding to 25–200 µg of total protein per well and combines small-molecule fractionation with subsequent processing of captured proteins directly within the Si-Trap™ plate.&nbsp;Unlike S-Trap™ processing, Si-Trap™ begins with detergent-free sample dissolution. Following neutralization and organic-solvent denaturation, proteins are captured within the derivatized porous matrix while metabolites and lipids are recovered from the flow-through. Captured proteins are subsequently reduced, alkylated, washed, and enzymatically digested directly within the plate.<h4>Si-Trap™ Technology</h4>Si-Trap™ is designed to prepare multiple omics fractions from one sample. The starting material is first dissolved without detergent. Following addition of Binding Solution, proteins are captured through multiple weak-affinity interactions within the derivatized pores of the Si-Trap™ matrix.Small molecules remain in the flow-through:<ul><li>metabolites are subsequently eluted using an MS-compatible solution,</li><li>lipids can optionally be separated following addition of Solution L and liquid-phase separation,</li><li>proteins remain trapped within the plate for downstream proteomic processing.</li></ul>Captured proteins are reduced and alkylated in situ, washed, and digested with the protease of choice. The resulting peptides are then eluted for LC-MS/MS analysis.&nbsp;<blockquote>Important: unlike the S-Trap™ workflow, the current Si-Trap™ 96-well Mini Kit protocol requires that the starting sample does not contain detergent.&nbsp;</blockquote><h4>Standard Multi-Omics Workflow</h4><ol><li>Sample dissolution/lysis using Si-Trap™ Lysis Solution A</li><li>Optional sonication for DNA-containing samples</li><li>Addition of Binding Solution A</li><li>Optional addition of Solution L for lipid analysis</li><li>Transfer to the Si-Trap™ 96-well Mini Plate</li><li>Protein trapping</li><li>Collection of the small-molecule flow-through</li><li>Metabolite elution</li><li>Optional separation and collection of the lipid fraction</li><li>Concentration of metabolite and optional lipid fractions</li><li>Protein reduction and alkylation in the plate</li><li>Protein washing</li><li>Protease addition</li><li>Digestion at 47 °C</li><li>Peptide elution</li><li>Preparation of individual fractions for downstream MS analysis.&nbsp;</li></ol><h4>Technical Specifications</h4><ul><li>Format: 96-well plate with reagents and accessories</li><li>Application: Multi-omics sample preparation</li><li>Biomolecule Classes: proteins/peptides, metabolites, optional lipids</li><li>Sample Range: 25–200 µg total protein</li><li>Approximate Well Capacity: 450 µL</li><li>Standard Centrifugation: 2,000 × g for 2 min</li><li>Alternative Flow Methods: vacuum or positive pressure</li><li>Plate Pre-Equilibration: not required</li><li>Reduction/Alkylation: 80 °C for 30 min</li><li>Protein Washing: 250 µL Wash Solution, 3 times</li><li>Protease Solution Volume: 125 µL</li><li>Recommended Trypsin-to-Protein Ratio: 1:10 (w/w)</li><li>Digestion: 1–2 h at 47 °C</li><li>Peptide Elution 1: 80 µL Digestion Solution</li><li>Peptide Elution 2: 80 µL Elution Solution</li><li>Optional Hydrophobic Peptide Elution: 80 µL 50% ACN / 0.2% formic acid</li><li>Downstream Analysis: LC-MS / LC-MS/MS</li></ul><h4>Kit Contents</h4>PN K006-96MNI-0001KT includes:<ul><li>1 Si-Trap™ 96-well Mini Plate</li><li>1 × 2.0 mL 96-well Waste Plate</li><li>2 × 1.0 mL 96-well Collection Plates</li><li>2 Silicone Mats</li><li>Solution 1 – Lysis Solution A: 2 × 2.5 mL</li><li>Solution 2 – Binding Solution A: 1 × 5.0 mL</li><li>Solution 3 – Metabolite Elution Solution: 1 × 26.0 mL</li><li>Solution 4 – Reductant/Alkylator:<ul><li>Solution 4B: 1 × 5.0 mL</li><li>Solution 4A: 1 × 300 µL</li><li>Solution 4R: 1 × 500 µL</li></ul></li><li>Solution 5 – Wash Solution: 3 × 26.0 mL</li><li>Solution 6 – Digestion Solution: 1 × 30.0 mL</li><li>Solution 7 – Elution Solution: 1 × 8.0 mL.&nbsp;</li></ul><h5>Not Included</h5>Additional materials required for the workflow include:<ul><li>protease of choice, such as trypsin,</li><li>LC-MS-grade water,</li><li>LC-MS-grade acetonitrile,</li><li>LC-MS-grade formic acid.</li></ul>For lipid fractionation, Si-Trap™ Solution L – Lipid Elution Solution is required and is sold separately.&nbsp;<h5>Storage</h5><ul><li>Si-Trap™ 96-well Mini Plate: up to 1 year at 4 °C</li><li>Solution 1: up to 1 year at room temperature when tightly closed; do not heat</li><li>Other supplied solutions: up to 1 year at −20 °C</li></ul>After thawing at 4 °C, solutions should be mixed thoroughly to redissolve any precipitate.&nbsp;<h4>Typical Applications</h4><ul><li>Multi-omics</li><li>Integrated proteomics and metabolomics</li><li>Proteomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics from a single sample</li><li>High-throughput multiomics</li><li>Bottom-up proteomics</li><li>LC-MS/MS peptide preparation</li><li>LC-MS metabolite analysis</li><li>Lipidomics LC-MS</li><li>Cell and tissue samples</li><li>Complex biological samples</li><li>Cohort studies</li><li>Automated 96-well sample preparation</li></ul>

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Equip Your Laboratory for Autumn at a Better Price

Researchers from Charles University, Prague, Have Developed a New Photocathode for Efficient Conversion of CO2 into Ethanol

News from LabRulezLCMS Library - Week 42, 2026