In Pursuit of Carbon Neutrality: Progresses and Innovations in Sorbents for Direct Air Capture of CO₂

Direct air capture (DAC) is of immense current interest, as a means to facilitate CO₂ capture at low concentrations (∼400 ppm) directly from the atmosphere, with the aim of addressing global warming caused by excessive anthropogenic CO₂ production. Traditionally, DAC of CO₂ has relied on amine scrubbing and metal carbonate /hydroxide solutions. However, recent years have seen notable progress in DAC sorbents, with key advancements aimed at improving efficiency, capacity, and regenerability while reducing energy consumption. This review delivers an exhaustive analysis of contemporary developments in DAC sorbents, addressing the innovations in material design and consequent performance enhancement. The limitations of the sorbents have also been discussed, with future perspectives for improving sustainable CO₂ capture strategies. We anticipate that this overview will help lay the groundwork for further development and large-scale implementation of sustainable sorbents and cutting-edge technologies toward attaining carbon neutrality.