From Emissions to Assets: Sustainable Technologies for CO₂ Capture, Conversion, and Integrated Strategies

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Climate change necessitates sustainable carbon dioxide (CO2) management.
• Existing CO2 capture and conversion methods face challenges in energy efficiency and economic viability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review advancements in energy-efficient and environmentally compatible CO2 capture technologies.
• To evaluate innovative CO2 conversion pathways into valuable chemicals and fuels.
• To highlight integrated carbon capture and conversion/utilization (ICCC/ICCU) systems.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of emerging CO2 capture materials and scalable designs.
• Analysis of thermocatalytic, electrocatalytic, and photochemical CO2 conversion processes.
• Assessment of integrated systems that combine capture and conversion.

Main Results:

• Identification of low-carbon-intensity materials for CO2 capture.
• Evaluation of the potential of various catalytic processes for CO2 valorization.
• Demonstration of the benefits of ICCC/ICCU in reducing energy-intensive intermediate steps.

Conclusions:

• ICCC/ICCU technologies represent a promising strategy for sustainable carbon management.
• Integrated systems streamline CO2 separation and reuse, advancing a low-carbon future.
• Focus on energy efficiency and economic viability is crucial for widespread adoption.