• Rossiter published January 27, 2026 A new material developed by BIDMaP researchers captures CO₂ from outdoor air with unprecedented speed, marking a critical leap toward practical direct air capture technology. • As atmospheric carbon dioxide levels continue to climb, the scientific consensus is clear: reducing emissions alone is no longer enough. • To avert the worst effects of climate change, scientists must also figure out a way to actively remove vast quantities of CO₂ that are already lingering in the sky. • One of the most promising technologies for this task is Direct Air Capture (DAC), machines that filter carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere. • But DAC faces a fundamental chemical challenge: CO₂ is extremely dilute in outdoor air (making up only 0.04% of the air we breathe). • This makes CO₂ elusive and energy-intensive to catch.
Article Summaries:
- A team led by Omar M. Yaghi has announced COF‑1000, a covalent organic framework that captures carbon dioxide from outdoor air three times faster than any previously reported material. The new “molecular sponge” builds on earlier COF‑999 by enlarging pore size, allowing a higher density of amine groups while maintaining rapid gas transport. This speed‑up could reduce the energy and footprint of direct‑air‑capture (DAC) plants, making large‑scale CO₂ removal more practical. Published in Nature Sustainability, the work highlights how rational design of porous materials can accelerate a key technology needed to offset rising atmospheric CO₂ levels.
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