New method could boost carbon capture efficiency

Systems for capturing and converting carbon dioxide could be important tools in curbing climate change, but can be inefficient and expensive. According to the team, their new method could significantly boost the performance of systems that use catalytic surfaces to enhance the rates of carbon-sequeserting electrochemical reactions.

These systems can produce valuable products, such as transportation fuels or chemical feedstock, which can help to subsidise the process and offset the costs of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Typically, a stream of gas containing carbon dioxide passes through water to deliver carbon dioxide for the electrochemical reaction, however sluggish movement through water slows the rate of conversion.

Published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science, the MIT team’s paper describes how their new design ensures that the carbon dioxide stream stays concentrated in the water right next to the catalyst surface. 

In these systems, the stream of carbon dioxide is mixed with water either under pressure or by bubbling it through a container outfitted with electrodes of a catalyst material such as copper. A voltage is then applied to promote chemical reactions, producing carbon compounds that can be transformed into fuels or other products.