Design of a Magnesium Microstructured Biohybrid Material for Practical Atmospheric CO₂ Mitigation.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Chemistry
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Rising greenhouse gas levels, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2), present significant threats to climate stability and indoor air quality.
• Current mitigation strategies often require harsh conditions or lack scalability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize a novel magnesium-based microstructured biohybrid (MicroMg) for efficient CO2 conversion.
• To evaluate the performance of MicroMg in aqueous media and when incorporated into paint for indoor CO2 reduction.

Main Methods:

• Enzyme-assisted synthesis of Mg3(PO4)2 microstructures stabilized by a lipase scaffold at room temperature and neutral pH.
• Assessment of CO2 conversion efficiency in aqueous solutions and gas-phase experiments with MicroMg-infused paint.
• Evaluation of MicroMg stability, reusability, and performance under varying CO2 concentrations and application conditions.

Main Results:

• MicroMg demonstrated efficient and complete aqueous CO2 conversion to bicarbonate within 30 minutes (TOF 16 h-1) with high structural integrity.
• MicroMg-infused paint effectively reduced gas-phase CO2 concentrations, maintaining over 90% activity after three washing cycles.
• The material showed sustained activity at elevated CO2 levels (up to 1500 ppm) with a transformation rate of 16 ppm/h, indicating practical applicability.

Conclusions:

• MicroMg is a sustainable, reusable, and scalable material for CO2 transformation under ambient conditions.
• Incorporation into paint offers a promising strategy for improving indoor air quality by mitigating CO2 levels.
• This biohybrid presents a novel approach for greenhouse gas mitigation and environmental remediation.