Reversed Mg-Based Smectites: A New Approach for CO₂ Adsorption

Addressing climate change requires transitioning to cleaner energy sources and adopting advanced CO₂ capture techniques. Clay minerals are effective in CO₂ adsorption due to their regenerative properties. Recent advancements in nanotechnology further improve their efficiency and potential for use in carbon capture and storage. This study examines the CO₂ adsorption properties of montmorillonite and saponite, which are subjected to a novel microwave-assisted acid treatment to enhance their adsorption capacity. While montmorillonite shows minimal changes, saponite undergoes significant alterations. Furthermore, the addition of silica pillars to smectites results in a new nanomaterial with a higher surface area (653 m² g^-1), denoted as reversed smectite, with enhanced CO₂ adsorption capabilities, potentially useful for electrochemical devices for converting captured CO₂ into value-added products.