Method for removing carbon dioxide from emissions possibly discovered

Porous material that could soak up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere has been developed been researchers in the UK.

A “metal-organic framework”, known as NOTT-202, is a material that can absorb a number of gases at high pressures. Crucially for the fight against climate change, once the pressure is lowered, carbon dioxide is retained whilst other gases are released.

This discovery, reported in Nature Materials, has potential for either carbon capture or storage. It could allow for the possibility to remove carbon dioxide from the exhaust gases emitted from power plants and factories, as well as other similar sources of pollution.

“Increasing the selectivity for carbon dioxide in the presence of gaseous mixtures represents a major challenge if these systems are to find practical applications under dynamic conditions,” the authors of the research wrote.

The research started at the universities of Nottingham and Newcastle in the UK, where it was discovered that a chemical system could selectively store a significant amount of carbon dioxide.

Such metal-organic frameworks, with metallic element atoms at their core surrounded by longer carbon-containing chains, have long been known for their ability to trap gases.

The scientists at Newcastle and Nottingham collaborated with a team at the Diamond Light Source in Oxfordshire, UK and the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s Daresbury Laboratory to get a microscopic look at their new class of porous material. This revealed that NOTT-202 is made up of two different frameworks that slot together leaving “nanopore” gaps for soaking up carbon dioxide.

 

Image: This new discovery holds the potential to remove carbon dioxide from power plant emissions | Arnold Paul Wikimedia Commons