"This is the first demonstration that this type of molybdenum carbide catalyst can be used on an industrial scale," says Marc Porosoff, assistant professor of chemical engineering at Rochester. In a paper in  Energy & Environmental Science , the researchers describe an exhaustive series of experiments they conducted at molecular, laboratory and pilot scales to document the catalyst's suitability for scale-up. If Navy ships could create their own fuel from the seawater they travel through, they could remain in continuous operation. Other than a few nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines, most Navy ships must periodically align themselves alongside tanker ships to replenish their fuel oil, which can be difficult in rough weather. In 2014, a Naval Research Laboratory team led by Heather Willauer announced it had used a catalytic converter to extract carbon dioxide and hydrogen from seawater and then converted the gases into liquid hydrocarbons at a 92 ...