Innovations in carbon capture: porous materials and atom-thick films

The chemical industry consumes ~10 to 15% of global energy in separation processes alone, and this percentage will increase with the implementation of large-scale carbon capture efforts, an event that is partly constrained by the lack of a viable solution to separate CO₂ from dilute gas streams. Given this, the development of new porous adsorbents, able to efficiently remove CO₂ from gas streams and/or help reduce the energy consumption of other separation processes, is poised to reap huge global benefits through both cost and energy savings and an overall improvement in environmental and human well-being.

In this presentation, a general introduction to targeted classes of porous adsorbents will be given. Moreover, the presentation will outline our recent work on the design of several novel, highly porous adsorbents, their assessment in CO₂ capture applications, and the construction of a CO₂ capture demonstration unit that will be installed in Valais in 2024. 

Energy-efficient and low-cost carbon capture from point source emission is crucial for rapid proliferation of capture technology needed to reduce anthropogenic CO₂ emission. We focus on engineering ultrathin films, down to the thickness of a single atom, which selectively remove CO₂ from N₂. In this seminar, I will present synthesis and scale-up of these films, based on porous graphene, and their implementation in membranes for postcombustion capture. I will discuss highly-effective methods to produce these films, and our recent efforts to scale-up membranes for kilogram scale capture. I will discuss engineering challenges for bringing this technology to market. Finally, I will present EPFL Solutions4Sustainability project geared towards tackling carbon capture at the rate of one ton per day.