Scalable Biomass-Derived Hydrogels for Sustainable Carbon Dioxide Capture

Carbon capture and sequestration are promising emissionsmitigationtechnologies to counteract ongoing climate change. The aqueous aminescrubbing process is industrially mature but suffers from low energyefficiency and inferior stability. Solid sorbent-based carbon capturesystems present a potentially advantageous alternative. However, practicalimplementation remains challenging due to limited CO2 uptakeat dilute concentrations and difficulty in regeneration. Here, wedevelop sustainable carbon-capture hydrogels (SCCH) with an excellentCO(2) uptake of 3.6 mmol g(-1) (400 ppm)at room temperature. The biomass gel network consists of konjac glucomannanand hydroxypropyl cellulose, facilitating hierarchically porous structuresfor active CO2 transport and capture. Precaptured moisturesignificantly enhances CO2 binding by forming water molecule-stabilizedzwitterions to improve the amine utilization efficiency. The thermoresponsiveSCCH exhibits a notable advantage of low regeneration temperatureat 60 & DEG;C, enabling solar-powered regeneration and highlightingthe potential for sustainable carbon capture to meet global decarbonizationtargets.

Automated summary

Carbon capture and sequestration technologies are crucial for mitigating climate change, and solid sorbent-based systems show promise as an alternative to aqueous amine scrubbing. However, their practical implementation faces difficulties in CO2 uptake at low concentrations and regeneration. In this study, sustainable carbon-capture hydrogels (SCCH) were developed with a high CO2 uptake and the ability for solar-powered regeneration, using a biomass gel network and pre-captured moisture to enhance CO2 binding efficiency. The findings highlight the potential of SCCH for sustainable carbon capture to meet global decarbonization targets.