Australian researchers have built the prototype of an electric generator that absorbs carbon dioxide (CO2) and produces energy. The 'carbon-negative nano-generator', the work of scientists at Queensland University, led by Zhuyuan Wang and Xiwang Zhang of the Center for Sustainable Engineering Innovation, paves the way for a new industrial-scale method of CO2 capture. The tested device, described in Nature Communications, combines polyamine gelatin, already in use to absorb CO2, with a thin 'skeleton' of boron nitrate just a few atoms thick.
With further development - the researchers write - the technology could contribute to significantly reducing global CO2 emissions. “We envision multiple uses: one is to use the technology to integrate it directly into a commercial CO2 absorption facility, so it can also generate electricity to power a laptop or cell phone using CO2 from the atmosphere.” A second application, on a much larger scale, could integrate this technology with an industrial CO2 capture process to produce electricity on a large scale.
It will also be possible to produce small, portable units that consume CO2 from the immediate environment, while creating enough electricity for small devices and lighting.