Lotus flower inspires new carbon capture technology

Led by Yang Yang, an associate professor at the University of Central Florida’s NanoScience Technology Center, the researchers developed a device that captures carbon dioxide with a microsurface comprised of a tin oxide film and fluorine layer. The device then extracts gaseous carbon dioxide via a bubbling electrode, converting the gases into useful chemicals such as carbon monoxide and formic acid.

To maximise the system’s efficiency, the team needed to minimise the amount of water spread out on the surface of the catalytic materials. It was here that the lotus flower inspiration came into play, with Prof Yang and his colleagues adopting a hydrophobic surface to separate water from the carbon dioxide conversion reaction. The work is published in the Journal of American Chemical Society. 

“We know that the lotus has a really hydrophobic surface, which means when you drop water on the surface, the water will go quickly away from the surface,” Prof Yang said in a statement.