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Revolutionizing Carbon Capture with Scalable Graphene Membranes
Effective carbon dioxide (CO2) capture from industrial emissions is a vital aspect in combating climate change. Traditional methods such as chemical absorption come with high costs and significant energy requirements. As a solution, researchers have looked towards graphene—a remarkable material characterized by its single-atom thickness and incredible strength—as a viable option for gas separation. However, the challenge has been creating large-area and efficient graphene membranes.
A team from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), led by Professor Kumar Agrawal, has recently made significant advances by developing a scalable technique for producing porous graphene membranes that are capable of selectively filtering CO2 from gas mixtures. This innovative approach not only reduces the cost of production but also enhances the quality and performance of the membranes, thereby opening avenues for practical applications in carbon capture and potentially more.
The resulting graphene membranes excel in gas separation due to their customizable pore sizes, which allow CO2 to pass through while blocking larger molecules, such as nitrogen. This property positions them as ideal candidates for capturing emissions from power plants and various industrial activities. Despite their potential, producing these membranes at scale has been a significant hurdle, primarily due to reliance on costly copper foils and intricate handling techniques that can lead to damaging cracks, ultimately hampering membrane efficiency.
The EPFL researchers rose to these challenges by developing a method to synthesize high-quality graphene using inexpensive copper foils, substantially lowering material costs. They then innovated a chemical process that employs ozone (O₃) to create minuscule pores in the graphene, enabling it to effectively filter CO2.
A pivotal advancement in their research was enhancing the interaction between the gases and the graphene, ensuring a consistent uniformity in pore formation over vast areas—an essential factor for scaling up production. Additionally, the team introduced a novel technique for transferring the fragile graphene membranes. Rather than floating the delicate films onto supporting structures, which frequently leads to fractures, they devised a straightforward transfer process directly within the membrane module. This method has minimized handling problems, drastically lowering the rates of failure.
The outcome of their efforts has resulted in the successful production of graphene membranes spanning 50 cm²—significantly larger than previously accomplished—while maintaining excellent structural integrity. These membranes demonstrated remarkable selectivity for CO2, exhibiting high permeance, which indicates a strong capability for allowing CO2 to pass while effectively blocking other gases.
Through their optimization of the oxidation process, the team further increased the density of CO2-selective pores, bolstering the performance of the membranes. Computational models confirmed that enhancing gas flow through the membrane was crucial in achieving these impressive results.
This groundbreaking work could transform the landscape of carbon capture technology. Conventional CO2 capture methods are often characterized by energy-intensive chemical processes, rendering them complex and costly for broader adoption. In contrast, graphene membranes present a simpler model that operates on pressure-driven filtration without needing additional heat, thus significantly cutting down energy demands.
Moreover, the application of this technique may extend beyond carbon capture. It could hold promise for other gas separation tasks, such as hydrogen purification and oxygen extraction. With its scalable production method and affordable materials, EPFL’s advancement in graphene membranes propels this technology closer to commercial application.
More information: Jian Hao et al, Scalable synthesis of CO₂-selective porous single-layer graphene membranes. Nature Chemical Engineering (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s44286-025-00203-z. www.nature.com/articles/s44286-025-00203-z
Citation: Scalable graphene membranes could supercharge carbon capture (2025, April 11) retrieved 11 April 2025 from https://phys.org/news/2025-04-scalable-graphene-membranes-supercharge-carbon.html
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