🌡️ New material captures CO2 more efficiently than large trees

• A new yellow powder material captures carbon dioxide from the air 10 times faster than other materials.
• The material, called COF-999, can be reused hundreds of times without decreased effectiveness.
• A test run with outdoor air in Berkeley showed that the powder captured all carbon dioxide from the air passing through it.

More efficient than large trees

The yellow powder COF-999, developed by researchers at UC Berkeley, weighs less than half a pound but can capture as much carbon dioxide as a large tree does in a year, about 40 kilos, reports LA Times.

Under an electron microscope, the powder looks like small basketballs with billions of holes. When air flows through the structures, carbon dioxide is captured by compounds called amines. The carbon dioxide remains until researchers release it by applying heat. After that, the process can start again.

Tests show strong results

During a 20-day test, the powder was placed in a metal tube the size of a straw and exposed to outdoor air in Berkeley. The air entering the tube contained carbon dioxide levels between 410 and 517 ppm (parts per million). When the air came out on the other side, researchers could not detect any carbon dioxide at all.

COF-999 only requires heating to 60 degrees Celsius to release the carbon dioxide, compared to 120 degrees for comparable materials. The porous structure provides more contact surfaces to capture carbon dioxide molecules, explaining the faster absorption capacity. The material has been tested for 300 cycles without decreased effectiveness.

The research team is now working to double the material's capacity within a year. According to Omar Yaghi, lead researcher at UC Berkeley, a version of COF-999 could be ready for large-scale use within two years.

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