CO2-to-Chemicals Conversion Patent Landscape 2026
CO2-to-Chemicals Conversion Patent Landscape in 2026
The CO2-to-chemicals conversion field has grown 59% in recent filing windows and spans 2,984 patent families, signalling a field firmly in a growth stage. British Petroleum leads by family count, but electrochemical reduction routes attract the heaviest multi-player competition, with catalysis and acyclic-compound synthesis as the dominant technology branches.
British Petroleum leads a moderately concentrated field with strong academic and startup challengers
British Petroleum Co PLC holds first place with 140 patent families, followed closely by the Governing Council of the University of Toronto (112), Dioxide Materials Inc (93), and Siemens AG (90). The field is notably diverse in applicant type, mixing integrated oil majors, deep-tech startups, universities, and public research institutes across the top twenty.
The top five filers account for 22% of the combined total among the hundred largest filers, indicating moderate rather than tight concentration. A meaningful tier gap separates the top four (90–140 patent families each) from the next group (51–69 each), but no single player dominates to the extent common in more mature technology domains.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | British Petroleum Co PLC | 140 | |
| 2 | The Governing Council of the University of Toronto | 112 | |
| 3 | Dioxide Materials Inc | 93 | |
| 4 | Siemens AG | 90 | |
| 5 | SIEMENS ENERGY GLOBAL GMBH & CO KG | 69 | |
| 6 | Saudi Arabian Oil Co | 58 | |
| 7 | Infinium Technology LLC | 56 | |
| 8 | Air Co Holdings Inc | 53 | |
| 9 | Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) | 52 | |
| 10 | COUNCIL OF SCI & IND RES | 51 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Twelve Benefit Corp | 42 | |
| 12 | CHINA PETROLEUM & CHEMICAL CORP | 39 | |
| 13 | University of Southern California | 38 | |
| 14 | SABIC Global Technologies BV | 37 | |
| 15 | King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals | 35 | |
| 16 | NIPPON TELEGRAPH & TELEPHONE CORP | 34 | |
| 17 | BP (China) Holdings Ltd | 31 | |
| 18 | Honda Motor Co Ltd | 31 | |
| 19 | Ningxia University | 31 | |
| 20 | Prometheus Fuels Inc | 30 |
BP’s scale reflects decades of hydrocarbon conversion experience redirected toward CO2 utilisation; the University of Toronto’s position near the top reflects its outsized role in electrochemical CO2 reduction research, reinforced by its high-profile collaboration partnerships with TotalEnergies. The presence of startups such as Dioxide Materials, Air Co, and Infinium Technology in the top ten signals that the field is commercially viable enough to sustain venture-backed IP programmes.
Filings from approximately 2024 onward are likely under-counted due to standard patent-publication lag; rankings and trend figures for those years should be treated as provisional. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Annual filings have expanded sharply, with catalysis and electrolysis dominating the technology mix
Two charts together show an accelerating filing curve against a technology composition anchored in catalytic and electrochemical routes. Reading them together reveals where competitive intensity is highest and which adjacent branches remain comparatively open.
Annual filing trend
Filings climbed steadily from 2017 through 2023, reaching a visible peak in 2023 before the 2024 and 2025 bars reflect publication-lag under-counting rather than a real decline. The 59% recent-window growth confirms the field is in an active growth stage. The 2026 figure is a partial-year snapshot only.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
Chemical and physical processes including catalysis (B01J) is the single largest branch, followed by acyclic and carbocyclic compounds (C07C) and electrolytic production of compounds (C25B). Together these three branches account for the bulk of filing activity, confirming that thermochemical and electrochemical catalysis are the core technical battlegrounds. Hydrocarbon oils and refining (C10G) and separation processes (B01D) are present but materially smaller, pointing to areas where coverage is thinner relative to technical importance.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
A catalyst for co2 hydrogenation to c2+ alcohols, …
A catalyst for CO<sub>2 </sub>hydrogenation to C<sub>2+</sub> alcohols is disclosed. Active components of the catalyst comprise Fe, Cu and M, wherein M comprises one or more of Zn, Mn, Co, Cs, Ce, Ga, Al and Zr. The molar ratio of Fe, Cu and M is Fe:Cu:M=1:(1˜4):(0.5˜4). The application also provides a preparation method for the catalyst. The preparation is… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Process for the conversion of hydrocarbons into al… | 371 |
| 2 | Methods and devices for the production of Hydrocar… | 265 |
| 3 | Photoactive Material Comprising Nanoparticles of a… | 232 |
| 4 | Continuous Co-Current Electrochemical Reduction of… | 220 |
| 5 | Electrolysis of carbon dioxide in aqueous media to… | 169 |
| 6 | Process for the conversion of hydrocarbons to etha… | 154 |
| 7 | Electrolysis of carbon dioxide in aqueous media to… | 150 |
| 8 | Process for the conversion of hydrocarbon to ethanol | 148 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
What the competitive structure means for R&D investment decisions
The combination of growth-stage dynamics, moderate concentration, active academia-industry collaboration, and US-dominant filing jurisdiction shapes both the risk profile and the entry calculus for new participants.
Growth stage: annual volume still expanding on a multi-year basis
The lifecycle evidence classifies the field as Growth, with a 59% increase in the recent filing window. Annual volume reached a visible high point in 2023; the apparent softening in 2024–2025 data reflects publication lag and should not be read as a reversal. For R&D planners, this stage implies that foundational IP positions are still being established and that early filing now can secure claims ahead of field consolidation.
Growth stageModerate concentration with a meaningful tier gap at the top
The top five filers hold 22% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, a moderate figure that leaves room for challengers to build differentiated positions. The tier gap between the top four (90–140 patent families each) and the next cluster (51–69) suggests that sustained multi-year filing programmes are required to reach leadership. Startups and universities in the top ten show that scale alone does not guarantee dominance here.
Moderate concentrationAcademia-industry joint filing is a defining structural feature
The most active co-filing partnership is between the University of Toronto and TotalEnergies Onetech (46 joint families), followed by the University of Toronto and TotalEnergies (33). British Petroleum and BP (China) Holdings co-file on 31 families, indicating internal cross-entity portfolio coordination. CNRS anchors several French academic consortia, co-filing with the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Toulouse (18 joint families), Université de Strasbourg (6), and Université de Paris (6). These clusters suggest that academic electrochemistry groups are preferred R&D partners for industrial players seeking to accelerate catalytic and electrochemical conversion programmes.
Active co-filingUS is the primary filing destination; China and PCT routes are substantial secondary channels
The United States leads as the top filing jurisdiction, followed by China and the WIPO PCT route, with Europe (EPO) and Canada as significant secondary markets. India and Australia also appear with meaningful filing volumes. The geographic spread suggests applicants are protecting rights across both established industrial markets and emerging manufacturing economies. The relatively limited Japan and South Korea filings may reflect either licensing strategies or thinner competitive activity from Asian players, creating potential openings for regional IP development.
US-led filingGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| The Governing Council of the University of Toronto | TotalEnergies Onetech | 46 |
| The Governing Council of the University of Toronto | TotalEnergies SE | 33 |
| British Petroleum Co PLC | BP (China) Holdings Ltd | 31 |
| TotalEnergies Onetech | Collège de France | 29 |
| Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) | Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Toulouse | 18 |
| Saudi Arabian Oil Co (Saudi Aramco) | Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) | 14 |
| Saudi Arabian Oil Co (Saudi Aramco) | Saudi Aramco Services Company | 6 |
| Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) | University of Strasbourg | 6 |
| Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) | Université de Paris | 6 |
| Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) | SICAT | 6 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
BP anchors thermochemical routes; Siemens and University of Toronto dominate electrochemical reduction
The top two players occupy distinct technology niches rather than competing head-to-head, which partly explains why both can hold large portfolios simultaneously. Momentum data reveal that several challengers are growing faster in recent years.
British Petroleum Co PLC
BP leads with 140 patent families and shows the strongest recent momentum among established players, with recent filings running at 6.2× the prior three-year rate. Its technology emphasis sits in acyclic and carbocyclic compound synthesis (C07C 29), heterogeneous catalysis (B01J 23), and hydrocarbon oil refining routes (C10G 2), reflecting a strategy of integrating CO2 conversion into existing downstream chemistry. The co-filing relationship with BP (China) Holdings accounts for 31 joint families, pointing to active China-market protection.
patent families: 140Siemens AG
Siemens AG holds 90 patent families and focuses almost exclusively on electrolytic production of compounds across C25B 3, C25B 1, and C25B 9 — a concentrated bet on electrochemical CO2 reduction. Its affiliate Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co KG adds a further 69 patent families with overlapping electrochemical emphasis, meaning the combined Siemens group represents a formidable electrochemical block. Momentum data for Siemens AG as a standalone entity is not separately broken out in the available evidence, but the University of Toronto (112 families, trend –27% recently) and TotalEnergies Onetech (momentum +3.4× vs prior three years, 67 recent families) are the most active challengers in the same electrochemical space.
patent families: 90| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| British Petroleum Co PLC | 62 | ▲ 6.2× vs prior 3-yr |
| The Governing Council of the University of Toronto | 45 | ▼ -27% |
| Saudi Arabian Oil Co (Saudi Aramco) | 25 | ▲ +39% |
| Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) | 12 | ▼ -67% |
| Air Co Holdings Inc | 31 | ▲ +107% |
| Council of Scientific and Industrial Research | 27 | ▲ new entrant |
| Infinium Technology LLC | 29 | ▲ +107% |
Under-served adjacent branches: hydrocarbon refining integration and downstream gas separation
Several IPC branches appear in the corpus at materially lower share than the dominant catalysis and electrolysis classes, while retaining clear technical linkage to CO2-to-chemicals workflows. These are observations of relative sparsity; two stand out as having plausible technical value and realistic entry paths.
C10G · Hydrocarbon oils & refining
This branch holds a 4% share of records in the corpus, modest relative to the catalysis and electrochemical leaders. CO2-derived syngas and methanol are logical feedstocks for existing refining infrastructure, yet the patent density here is thin. An entrant with refinery-integration expertise could carve out a defensible position covering the interface between CO2 conversion outputs and downstream hydrocarbon processing — a gap that BP’s filing pattern only partially fills through its C10G 2 sub-class activity.
Search this in Eureka →B01D · Separation processes
Separation processes (B01D) account for 4% of records, yet product separation and purification are unavoidable steps in any CO2-to-chemicals process chain. The relative sparsity suggests that separation IP is either being filed under adjacent classes, licensed in from established membrane and distillation players, or simply under-protected. An applicant with membrane or absorption-based separation technology could file strategically in this branch to capture essential process steps that complement the densely covered catalytic conversion core.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ across catalytic, electrochemical, and downstream processing routes
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | B01J 23 · Chemical/physical processes & catalysis | C25B 3 · Electrolytic production of compounds | C07C 29 · Acyclic & carbocyclic compounds | B01J 37 · Chemical/physical processes & catalysis | B01J 35 · Chemical/physical processes & catalysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Petroleum Co PLC | Strong · 66 | Absent | Strong · 84 | Moderate · 18 | Absent |
| Siemens AG | Absent | Strong · 125 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| The Governing Council of the University of Toronto | Absent | Strong · 116 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Council of Scientific and Industrial Research | Strong · 40 | Absent | Absent | Strong · 27 | Strong · 28 |
| Dioxide Materials Inc | Absent | Strong · 86 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| SABIC Global Technologies BV | Strong · 24 | Absent | Strong · 22 | Strong · 20 | Strong · 16 |
| Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) | Strong · 34 | Absent | Absent | Moderate · 16 | Strong · 29 |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus in scope contains 2,984 patent families covering a range of thermochemical, electrochemical, and biochemical routes for converting CO2 into value-added chemicals.
British Petroleum Co PLC leads with 140 patent families, followed by the Governing Council of the University of Toronto (112) and Dioxide Materials Inc (93).
The field is classified as Growth stage. The recent filing window shows 59% growth. Annual volume peaked visibly in 2023; the apparent softening in 2024–2025 data reflects publication lag and should not be interpreted as a genuine decline.
Heterogeneous catalysis and chemical/physical processes (B01J) is the largest branch, followed by acyclic and carbocyclic compound synthesis (C07C) and electrolytic production of compounds (C25B). These three branches together cover the core thermochemical and electrochemical conversion pathways.
The United States is the leading filing jurisdiction, followed by China, WIPO (PCT), Europe (EPO), and Canada. India and Australia also appear as significant secondary filing destinations.
Among tracked applicants, TotalEnergies Onetech shows the steepest recent acceleration at 3.4× its prior three-year rate, while British Petroleum runs at 6.2× its prior three-year rate. Air Co Holdings and Infinium Technology LLC each show recent growth of approximately 107%, and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research entered the ranking as a new entrant in the recent window.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
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