Apparently, there’s no need to ask the question anymore thanks to a team led by Tewodros Asefa, a chemist at Rutgers University. 

The team has created ultra-small titanium dioxide crystals – nanoparticles – which can convert carbon dioxide into methane and other fuels. The other interesting property of the crystals is their ability to hold a charge for expended periods of time. This could make them ideal for use in quantum computers.

“Our findings are important and intriguing in a number of ways, and more research is needed to understand how these exotic crystals work and to fulfill their potential,” said Asefa.

Titanium dioxide is widely available with thousands of tons of it being produced every year for use in a wide array of products. It’s used in everything from sunscreens, cosmetics and paints to paper, plastics, ceramics and much more.

Another very interesting property of the crystals is that, for some reason, they ‘blink’ when exposed to energy.

Research are still trying to understand exactly why, but they believe it may be because individual electrons become trapped for many seconds within a crystal and then jump to another where they again become temporarily trapped. 

This ‘blinking’ response to electrons is what could make the crystals useful in electronics, solar cells and other technology.

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