Tony Writes:

Hi, Im 14 years old and Chemistry really is my favorite subject in school,
and out. I had a question about CO2. Is it possible to break the bonds that
hold the CO2 molecules together?
ex.passes through something and carbon is trapped and air passes on?
Thanks a lot

Yes, it is possible to break the bonds that link the carbons to the oxygens in CO2. However, doing so is not easy, and outside the laboratory there is only one practical way to do this. CO2 is very stable and non-reactive, which is why it survives so long in our atmosphere, and contributes to global warming.

Scientists are working on a method for transforming carbon dioxide (CO2) into fuel, using catalysts and sunlight. However, it could be decades before this can be done on a large scale So there still really is only one way to convert large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) into oxygen (O2) – Photosynthesis.

Yep. What scientist have been able to do only with great difficulty – and usually with dangerous substances and expensive equipment – nature has been doing for a billion years with ease.

I know that “plant a tree” wasn’t the answer you were looking for, but photosynthesis is still the most efficient way to purify CO2, and it probably will remain so for another century or so.