A team of scientists in the United Kingdom have developed a porous material that could potentially store large quantities of greenhouse gases, offering a new tool in the fight against climate change. The researchers used computational models to create this material, which was detailed in a paper published in Nature Synthesis. The scientists believe that certain features of the structure make it an excellent storage option for carbon dioxide and sulphur hexafluoride, both potent greenhouse gases.
Marc Little, an engineering professor at Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University expressed excitement about the discovery, noting that new porous materials are needed to address major societal challenges. The new material resembles a cage made up of smaller molecules and is an organic supermolecule composed of oxygen, nitrogen, and fluorine. While planting trees can absorb carbon dioxide, it is a slow process, so there is a need for human-made molecules to capture greenhouse gases more efficiently.
In addition to this new material, other options for capturing carbon are also being explored. Two-dimensional structures made from boron with a large surface area could potentially absorb greenhouse gases from power plants. Researchers are also looking into using concrete as a way to absorb greenhouse gases as it is significant emitter of carbon dioxide but one challenge is transitioning these lab experiments into practical solutions on a larger scale.
Scaling up these new materials and technologies to have a meaningful impact on climate change remains complex but scientists like Marc Little are working towards bridging the gap between laboratory discoveries and real-world applications. By addressing these challenges, new materials and strategies could play a critical role in combating climate change in the future.