The key to reducing the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere might sit squarely in the middle of the periodic table.
A new study finds that the transition metal vanadium is a strong candidate for use in direct air carbon capture, a method of pulling CO2 out of the atmosphere. In contrast to carbon capture at the source of emissions — where technology is more advanced — direct air capture requires reactants that are highly selective for CO2, given that CO2 currently makes up only about 400 ppm in the atmosphere. A good candidate for a direct air capture CO2 scrubber must absorb CO2 without reacting readily with other components of ambient air, such as water.
In the article published in the journal Chemical Science, chemist May Nyman of Oregon State Univ. and her colleagues found that vanadium in the form of peroxometalates outperformed other transition metals such as tungsten, niobium, and tantalum in removing CO2 from ambient air. But vanadium may not be the best performer, Nyman notes; further research has turned up additional candidates.
“We do have a cheaper metal from the same neighborhood on the periodic table that’s...
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