Nanotechnology material could help reduce CO2 emissions from coal-fired power plants

(Nanowerk News) University of Adelaide researchers have  developed a new nanomaterial that could help reduce carbon dioxide emissions  from coal-fired power stations.

The new nanomaterial, described in the Journal of the  American Chemical Society (“Post-synthetic Structural Processing in a  Metal–Organic Framework Material as a Mechanism for Exceptional CO2/N2 Selectivity”), efficiently separates the  greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from nitrogen, the other significant component of  the waste gas released by coal-fired power stations. This would allow the carbon  dioxide to be separated before being stored, rather than released to the  atmosphere.

“A considerable amount of Australia‘s – and the world’s – carbon  dioxide emissions come from coal-fired power stations,” says Associate Professor  Christopher Sumby, project leader and ARC Future Fellow in the  University’s School of Chemistry and Physics.

“Removing CO2 from the flue gas  mixture is the focus of a lot of research. Most of Australia’s energy generation  still comes from coal. Changing to cleaner energies is not that straightforward  but, if we can clean up the emissions, we’ve got a great stop-gap technology.”

The researchers have produced a new absorbent material, called a  ‘metal-organic framework‘, which has “remarkable selectivity” for separating  CO2 from nitrogen.

“It is like a sponge but at a nanoscale,” says Associate  Professor Sumby. “The material has small pores that gas molecules can fit into –  a CO2 molecule fits but a nitrogen molecule is  slightly too big. That’s how we separate them.”

Other methods of separating CO2 from nitrogen are energy-intensive and expensive. This material has the  potential to be more energy efficient. It’s easy to regenerate (removing the  CO2) for reuse, with small changes in temperature  or pressure.

“This material could be used as it is but there are probably  smarter ways to implement the benefits,” says Associate Professor Sumby.

“One of the next steps we’re pursuing is taking the material in  powder form and dispersing it in a membrane. That may be more practical for  industrial use.”

The project is funded by the Science Industry Endowment Fund and  is a collaboration between researchers in the Centre of Advanced  Nanomaterials, in the School of Chemistry and Physics, and the CSIRO.

Source: University of Adeleide

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