Researchers develop graphene membranes with pyridinic-nitrogen at pore edges for high-performance CO2 capture
Researchers at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) have developed advanced graphene membranes with pyridinic-nitrogen at pore edges, reportedly showing unprecedented performance in CO2 capture. This could mark a step towards more efficient carbon capture technologies.
Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) is a technology that reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from hard-to-abate industrial sources such as power plants, cement factories, steel mills, and waste incinerators. But current capture methods rely on energy-intensive processes, which makes them costly and unsustainable. Researchers are working to develop membranes that can selectively capture CO2 with high efficiency, thereby reducing the energy and financial costs associated with CCUS. But even state-of-the-art membranes, such as polymer thin films, are limited in terms of CO2 permeance and selectivity, which limits their scalability. So, the challenge is to create membranes that can simultaneously offer high CO2 permeance and selectivity, crucial for effective carbon capture.