A team of scientists from the United Kingdom has discovered a porous material that could be an excellent tool in the fight against climate change. The material was developed using computational models and detailed in a paper published in Nature Synthesis. The scientists believe that certain features of the structure make it an ideal storage option for carbon dioxide and sulphur hexafluoride, both potent greenhouse gases.
Engineering professor Marc Little from 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, which resembles a cage made up of smaller molecules, is an organic supermolecule composed of oxygen, nitrogen, and fluorine. Little explained that 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 being developed. Two-dimensional structures made from boron, with a large surface area, could potentially absorb greenhouse gases from power plants. Researchers are also exploring the use of concrete, a significant emitter of carbon dioxide, in absorbing greenhouse gases. However, one challenge is transitioning these lab experiments into practical solutions that can be implemented on a larger scale.
Scaling up these new materials and technologies to have a meaningful impact on climate change remains a complex challenge. Scientists like Marc Little are working to bridge the gap between laboratory discoveries and real-world applications. By addressing these challenges
