The current geopolitical crisis has made us lose sight of: climate change. Nevertheless, it remains one of the greatest long-term threats to human coexistence on Earth. Accelerating “climate gas” CO2 global warmingplays a big role in this. In a review article in the journal Advanced Functional Materials, scientists from Saarland University and htw saar have shown how CO2 can be stored efficiently and cheaply using high-tech materials.
The AI-generated images (Higgsfield/Nano Banana Pro using proprietary image materials) demonstrate different ways to “capture” CO2, which is the underlying theme of the currently published paper.
© Galei Labo
This is a kind of holy grail in (applied) science. Scientists around the world are looking for ways to collect it as efficiently as possible.CO2 Once manufactured, either store it safely, discard it, or recycle it. There are now common ways to capture and save.CO2 (carbon dioxide). However, all of these CCS technologies are very expensive processes (costing between $50 and $150 per ton).CO2) has limited effect. The process of removingCO2 Gases that are already being emitted from the atmosphere (negative emission technologies, NETs) cannot by themselves significantly reduce the amount of “greenhouse gases”.
Therefore, as climate change occurs rapidly without the influence of storms, droughts, and ice melt, new methods are needed to tackle this pressing problem. Therefore, in addition to the undisputed best approach of emitting as little carbon dioxide as possible, scientists are also researching additional ways to emit still huge amounts of carbon dioxide.CO2 emissions Under control. Here, resource-saving on-site solutions should be used for direct power generation and mobile carbon capture technology.
In addition to CCS and NETs, another option for coupling gases is the use of so-called stimuli-responsive organic materials. Markus Garay, professor of polymer chemistry at Saarland University, knows what’s behind this. Together with his colleague Zhou Jian and HTW SAAR Professor of Renewable Energy Marc Deisenroth Uhrig, he recently published a review article on this type of energy.CO2 recovery Published in the top specialized journal “Advanced Functional Materials”. This work is also featured on the cover of the current print edition.
“The focus of these technologies is on the ‘switchability’ of absorption or emission.CO2” explains Markus Garay. By exposing a certain substance to a stimulus, this substance can be absorbed.CO2 It then releases it again in a targeted manner when the stimulus is triggered. Such stimuli include temperature, electricity, mechanical stress, light, pH levels, and even magnetism. “These stimuli can be combined with each other. In this way, we can develop compact and efficient systems using intelligent plastics and organic materials that require much less energy than current systems, which is one of the main problems of current CCS systems,” says Markus Gallei, whose research focuses on the development of efficient polymers. Some of his research projects areCO2 You can bind it in the most resource efficient way possible and above all release it again.
“The important thing is thatCO2 Materials that respond to such stimuli need to be as pure as possible to be usable,” explains the chemist. This is why these processes are not suitable for all man-made materials.CO2 source. “For example, steel production produces many other substances.CO2. These methods are not the best here. However, compact systems based on this could be used in ‘mobile burners’ and small industrial companies,” explains Markus Garay.
“Of course, you could ask, ‘What’s new about this?'” the chemistry professor admits. After all, he and his colleagues report nothing new in a strictly scientific sense with this paper. They “only” summarize the state of the art in this field. “However, until now there has been no such overview in the professional literature. Although none of the technologies we are looking at are yet established, we believe they have great potential.” The fact that this paper was published in highly respected journals such as Advanced Functional Materials (impact factor 19) and made the front page is proof that Markus Gallei, Marc Deissenroth-Uhrig and Jian Zhou were correct in their assessment.
It is no coincidence that three writers from Saarland came up with this idea. “This work was created as part of the ENFOSAAR project, which is funded by the Saarland Transformation Fund,” says Markus Garay. In this €23 million network, htw saar and universities are collaborating with Fraunhofer IZFP, IZES Institute and DFKI to research how successful transformation can be achieved in dealing with climate and structural change. “Thanks to the Transformation Fund, Saarland can play a leading role in tackling the challenges of the future,” summarizes Markus Garay.
If their work serves as an overview and inspiration for their own work, other scientists around the world would gain much. After all, it is the grip that holds theCO2 concentration In the atmosphere, we don’t need a single holy grail to solve problems alone. Rather, there are many small “cups” that have to work together to get the gas out of the air or prevent it from getting there in the first place. And some of these “small grains” may have originated in Saarland.