In the race against climate change, capturing carbon dioxide (CO₂) directly from the air is a promising strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Now, researchers from Shihezi University has developed a new type of metal-organic framework (MOF) that captures CO₂ more efficiently than existing materials. This advancement, detailed on February 15, 2025 in Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering, could pave the way for more sustainable and environmentally friendly methods of CO₂ capture.
The team engineered a bimetallic MOF, combining zinc and cerium, using a novel microchannel reactor method that doesn't require organic solvents. This greener approach not only makes the synthesis faster and more efficient but also more environmentally friendly. The resulting MOFs showed a superior ability to capture CO₂ compared to their single-metal counterparts.
"The key innovation here is the incorporation of cerium into the zinc-based MOF, which significantly enhances the CO₂ adsorption capacity," said Dr. Wencai Peng, the lead author of the study. "This is due to the increased alkalinity and charge concentration in the MOF, which makes it more attractive for CO₂."
The new MOFs demonstrated a CO₂ adsorption capacity of 0.74 mmol/g, which is higher than many other reported MOFs. What's more, the material maintained this high performance over multiple cycles of adsorption and desorption, showing its potential for practical use in direct air capture (DAC) systems.
The study also found that the new MOFs had a higher CO₂ adsorption energy after cerium doping, which is beneficial for capturing CO₂. Theoretical calculations supported these findings, showing that the cerium-doped MOF had a more favorable interaction with CO₂ molecules.
This research contributes to the global effort to combat climate change by providing a more efficient method for CO₂ capture. If scaled up, this technology could help reduce the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere, thereby mitigating the impacts of climate change.
"The development of this new MOF is a significant step forward in the field of CO₂ capture," said Dr. Feng Yu, a co-author of the study. "It offers a promising alternative to existing methods and could be a key to achieving our carbon neutrality goals."
The researchers are now working on optimizing the MOF further and testing its performance under real-world conditions. They are also exploring the potential of using this method to synthesize other types of MOFs for even wider applications.
In conclusion, this study presents a significant progress in the development of MOFs for CO₂ capture. The bimetallic ZnCe-MOF developed using the microchannel reactor method shows superior structure and performance, making it a promising candidate for DAC applications. As the world grapples with the urgency of addressing climate change, innovations like this could play a crucial role in creating a greener, more sustainable future.
This work was supported by the Xinjiang Science and Technology Program. The findings not only advance scientific knowledge in the field but also offer practical solutions for one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.
DOI: 10.1007/s11705-025-2518-5