Atom-splitting mesh
Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California have created a material that splits CO2 atoms into oxygen and carbon monoxide, called a covalent organic framework (COF).
The COF links porphyrins together into a conductive mesh. As CO2 percolates through the material it is split. Previously, porphyrins alone were added to a solution of two electrodes, an electrolyte, and some dissolved CO2. This solution split the CO2 atoms though it was dirty, inefficient, and the effectiveness of the porphyrins lessened over time. By creating a mesh, the team’s material works 60% better than using porphyrins alone. It is more efficient and, by splitting at a rate of 240,000 CO2 molecules per hour, viewed as one of the most effective CO2 removers of any type.
There also is the potential to convert the split CO into an energy source by combining the carbon monoxide with hydrogen.
Contact: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.
