Light energy-driven carbonic anhydrase mediate CO₂ sequestration system with variable-temperature adaptability.

Area of Science:

• Biocatalysis
• Materials Science
• Environmental Engineering

Background:

• Rising atmospheric CO₂ necessitates eco-friendly mitigation strategies.
• Carbonic anhydrase (CA) is highly efficient for CO₂ hydration but limited by temperature sensitivity in traditional immobilization.
• Plant leaf adaptation to light inspires temperature-adaptive enzymatic systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a photoenergy-driven system for temperature-adaptive CO₂ sequestration using immobilized carbonic anhydrase.
• To investigate the efficacy of a MAG-CA composite (MXene, AMWCNTs, Gelatin) for enhanced carbon capture.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of MAG-CA by immobilizing CA onto a composite of Titanium carbide (MXene), amino-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (AMWCNTs), and gelatin (Gel).
• Utilizing photoenergy to modulate the substrate surface temperature for maintaining optimal CA activity.
• Testing carbon capture efficiency across a range of ambient temperatures (20-40 °C) under varying light intensities.

Main Results:

• Illumination of MAG-CA generates surface temperatures above ambient, allowing continuous optimal enzyme function.
• The system demonstrates efficient carbon capture across a broad temperature range (20-40 °C).
• MAG-CA under illumination achieved over twice the carbon capture efficiency compared to free CA at higher temperatures without illumination.

Conclusions:

• The photoenergy-driven MAG-CA system offers a novel, temperature-adaptive approach for efficient CO₂ sequestration.
• This technology overcomes the limitations of traditional enzyme immobilization, broadening industrial applications for enzyme-mediated carbon capture.
• The study provides a new perspective for utilizing biocatalysis in industrial carbon capture solutions.