Researchers at Cornell University have developed a new way to capture and release carbon dioxide using sunlight, mimicking the way plants naturally store carbon.
This innovative process could revolutionize carbon capture technology by making it more affordable and sustainable, without relying on fossil fuels.
Traditional methods of capturing carbon dioxide are expensive and require a lot of energy, often powered by fossil fuels that contribute to carbon emissions.
To solve this problem, the Cornell team created a chemical process inspired by photosynthesis—the natural method plants use to store carbon.
Using sunlight as the energy source, the system captures carbon dioxide and then releases it for storage or reuse without the need for additional cooling, which is a major drawback of existing technologies.
The new process was developed by graduate student Bayu Ahmad, with support from Professor Phillip Milner, who initially doubted the idea would work.
But experiments proved otherwise, and their findings were published in the journal Chem.
Milner explained that traditional carbon capture relies heavily on chemicals called amines, which are expensive, unstable, and require a lot of energy to produce.
In contrast, the Cornell system uses a material called 2-methylbenzophenone, which is both inexpensive and durable. The reaction process also draws inspiration from RuBisCo, the enzyme that allows plants to capture carbon during photosynthesis.
To release the captured carbon, the researchers simply change the pH of the environment, enabling a process called decarboxylation, which safely releases the gas without damaging the system.
Even more impressive, the team tested their method on real flue gas from Cornell’s Combined Heat and Power Building, a natural gas power plant on campus.
Unlike many lab-based carbon capture systems that struggle with real-world conditions, the Cornell system successfully captured carbon dioxide despite the presence of trace contaminants.
Milner and his team have big plans for the technology.
They envision large panels, similar to solar panels, that can be placed in open areas like deserts to pull carbon dioxide directly from the air. The captured gas could then be stored, piped, or even transformed into useful products.
As part of his role as the Semlitz Family Sustainability Fellow, Ahmad is working with Cornell’s business school to explore commercialization opportunities for the technology.
The research team is also exploring how this sunlight-powered process could be applied to capture other gases. Since gas separation accounts for around 15% of global energy use, Milner believes their method could significantly reduce energy consumption.
He also plans to make flue gas from Cornell’s power plant available to researchers and startups to help drive innovation in carbon capture technology.
This new approach could be a game-changer in the fight against global warming, offering a cleaner, cheaper, and more efficient way to capture carbon from industrial emissions and even directly from the air.
