A team of UK scientists have recently made a promising discovery in the field of scientific alchemy that could offer a potential new tool in the fight against climate change. They have identified a porous material that shows potential for storing large quantities of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and sulphur hexafluoride.
The research on this material was detailed in a newly published paper in the journal Nature Synthesis, where the scientists explained how they used computational models to develop the material. The scientists believe that certain features of its structure make it well-suited for storing these potent greenhouse gases.
Engineering professor Marc Little from Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University expressed excitement about the discovery, noting the need for new porous materials to address society’s biggest challenges. He emphasized the importance of capturing greenhouse gases efficiently from the environment to combat climate change, citing tree planting as an insufficient solution.
In addition to this porous material, other potential carbon-sinking materials are also being developed, such as a two-dimensional boron structure with a large surface area that could absorb greenhouse gases from power plants. Experiments involving concrete modification are also being explored to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. However, one major obstacle is transitioning these laboratory experiments into market-ready solutions. Scientists like Little will need to address this challenge in order to effectively apply material science to combat climate change.
Ultimately, the discovery of this porous material represents a significant advance in the pursuit of solutions to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change. Further research and development will be needed to scale up these materials and effectively implement them in real-world applications.
