Tech

Is the future of electrochemical carbon capture technology?


carbon

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Humans send millions of tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the air each year—by generating electricity, manufacturing products, driving, flying, and performing other routine activities. And while plants can absorb some of that CO2much of it remains suspended in the atmosphere, where it acts as an insulating blanket trapping heat on Earth.

Scientists believe that removing some of that CO2—and putting it in long-term storage or converting it into something useful—is a potential option for slowing human-caused climate change. But carbon sequestrationAs the process is known, easier said than done.

However, research from the University of Colorado Boulder offers new insights into a promising method for eliminating carbon from the atmosphere: Using electricity to manipulate chemicals so they can suck carbon out of the air.

Scientists have revealed the results of their experiments on a family of compounds known as quinones in a new paper recently published in the journal Energy Advances. By using electrochemical techniques to change their molecular structure, the researchers discovered that quinones can indeed bind and capture carbon in a controlled manner.

The discovery not only represents an important and novel discovery in the field of chemistry, the researchers say, but also helps scientists understand more about which types of compounds could be better—or worse. —in capturing carbon out of the air.

These electrochemically activated quinone molecules behave differently when capturing carbon from air-like conditions—where CO2 diluted among many other gases—compared to concentrated CO2 sources, such as those emitted by power plants.

Scientists have long assumed that quinone molecules are always bound to two CO2 each molecule, acting in a 1:2 ratio. But the CU Boulder researchers found that when capturing carbon from dilute sources, which they nicknamed “starvation conditions,” quinone binds to only one CO.2 each molecule—a 1:1 ratio.

“Electrification carbon capture material considered good for CO2 shooting from focused sources may not be as good as when shooting CO2 from dilute sources such as air,” said study co-author Oana Luca, assistant professor of chemistry at CU Boulder and a faculty member in the CU Boulder Office of Research & Innovation.

Harness the power of electrochemistry for good

Power plants generate about 31% of total CO2 emissions—and about 24% of all greenhouse gas emissions—in the United States, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. That is because electric Factory mostly burned fossil fuel like coal and natural gas to generate electricity, a process that generates large amounts of CO2.

Currently, most of the carbon sequestration occurs at these plants, which are equipped with special equipment that can absorb CO.2 before being released into the atmosphere. However, this process is energy intensive and expensive, and is limited to specific locations.

It’s also not widely used: By some estimates, current carbon sequestration efforts capture only 0.1% of global CO2.2 emissions per year. To help slow climate change and limit global warming To meet the Paris Agreement target of 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 degrees Celsius), that number needs to rise quickly and dramatically—and Luca believes electrochemistry can help.

Luca and her collaborators hope that by unlocking the secrets of electrochemical processes, they may one day bring carbon capture and sequestration to the masses. Ultimately, they hope that anyone, anywhere, can operate a small CO2 out of the air.

“Our approach opens the door to a system that can be deployed in your backyard—it could be something you put next to your house or it could even be your car,” she says. your. “In the end it will be cheaper and it will also be easier to distribute, to places where the source of CO . is concentrated2 absent. In many ways, it could change the way we do business.”

The researchers also hope to eventually figure out how to convert CO2 useful chemicals. Today, most sequestered carbon is stored underground in geological formations.

Their vision is still many years away from becoming a reality. However, researchers are encouraged by the discoveries and progress they are making in the lab.

“We don’t intend to build devices and save the world, but we’re excited to contribute some knowledge about materials that could be considered candidates for the future,” says Luca. capture carbon in the air directly”.

“We will get to a point where we cannot undo the damage that is being done to us. global environmentso that’s why we’re doing this work—to try to do something about it and try to contribute ideas to form some solution later.”

quote: The future of carbon capture technology is electrochemistry? (2022, Nov 22) get November 22, 2022 from https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-future-carbon-capture-technology-electrochemistry.html

This document is the subject for the collection of authors. Other than any fair dealing for private learning or research purposes, no part may be reproduced without written permission. The content provided is for informational purposes only.

news7f

News7F: Update the world's latest breaking news online of the day, breaking news, politics, society today, international mainstream news .Updated news 24/7: Entertainment, Sports...at the World everyday world. Hot news, images, video clips that are updated quickly and reliably

Related Articles

Back to top button