Schlagwort: DAC

Peer-reviewed Publications

Gu & Li (2026): Humid-air competitive adsorption invalidates conventional sorbent screening criteria for direct air capture

Yu Gu and Jia Li, IN: Carbon Capture Science & Technology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccst.2026.100672

Direct air capture (DAC) of CO₂ using solid sorbents is a key negative-emissions technology, but current systems require 5–10 GJ t⁻¹ of thermal energy for sorbent regeneration, which far exceeds the thermodynamic minimum. High-throughput computational screening of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) offers a route to identifying lower-energy sorbents, yet most screening workflows rely on molecular descriptors evaluated under idealised conditions. These descriptors do not encode the competitive, path-integrated thermodynamics of a full adsorption–desorption cycle under humid air, where co-adsorbed water dominates the energy penalty. Whether explicitly modelling nonlinear competitive CO₂/H₂O adsorption yields fundamentally different material rankings from conventional linear screening remains untested at database scale. Here the authors show, by screening 7906 CoRE-MOF-2019 structures through a proxy temperature-vacuum swing adsorption cycle coupled with binary Langmuir-IAST, that nonlinear competitive adsorption changes DAC screening outcomes: all 50 top-performing sorbents (regeneration energy 92–150 kJ mol⁻¹ CO₂) belong exclusively to the nonlinear regime and would be systematically excluded by a linear Henry-regime model.

⁠LINK

#
Peer-reviewed Publications

Esch et al. (2026): Carbon fabrics for electrified direct air capture: From substrate morphology to module-scale operating trade-offs

Carla Esch, Jacqueline Kieven, Antonia Geiser, Roman Ryapushkin, Wibke Zängle and Matthias Wessling, IN: Chemical Engineering Journal, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2026.179238

Polyethyleneimine (PEI)-impregnated carbon fabrics are structured direct air capture (DAC) sorbents whose electrical conductivity enables resistive temperature swing regeneration. However, how substrate morphology translates intrinsic sorbent properties into module-scale DAC performance under continuous flow remains poorly understood. The authors investigate this using a resistively heated spiral wound module (SWM). Two carbon fabrics, a macroporous non-woven (E20) and a microporous activated carbon cloth (FM10), were characterized.

⁠LINK

#
Peer-reviewed Publications

Criado et al. (2026): Operating parameters and sorbent properties affecting Ca(OH)₂ carbonation for direct air capture (DAC) applications

Yolanda A. Criado, Carlos Bajo, Loreto Suarez and Roberto García, IN: Chemical Engineering Journal, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2026.179644

Direct Air Capture (DAC) based on Ca(OH)₂ carbonation has emerged as a promising route for atmospheric CO₂ removal. However, the maximum attainable carbonation conversion (XMax), a key parameter governing sorbent utilization and process performance, is strongly influenced by operating conditions and sorbent properties. In this work, XMax was investigated over a wide range of CO₂ concentrations (500–120,000 ppm), relative humidity (10–95%), and temperatures (30–80 °C), using both commercial standard and high-surface-area Ca(OH)₂ materials.

⁠LINK

#
Peer-reviewed Publications

Hofer & Pröll (2026): Revisiting TSA and TVSA for DAC: Operating Windows, Thermodynamic Bounds, and Exergy Efficiency

Gerhard Hofer and Tobias Pröll, IN: Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.6c02452

Direct air capture (DAC) using solid sorbents is increasingly implemented through continuous temperature–vacuum swing adsorption (TVSA), yet the thermodynamic performance of such systems has not been systematically characterized under realistic operating conditions. This study reproduces previously published post-combustion capture and DAC cases using an independent MATLAB implementation of an equilibrium-stage temperature swing adsorption (TSA) model, confirming consistency with the original formulation. The model is then extended to DAC-relevant conditions, including ambient-temperature adsorption and vacuum-enabled regeneration, to evaluate the interdependencies between working capacity, solids circulation, regeneration heat, and blower and vacuum work.

⁠LINK

#
Peer-reviewed Publications

Shen et al. (2026): Proton trap engineered electric swing adsorption for scalable and cost-effective direct air capture

Yao Shen, Kai Pang, Weichen Zhao, Liang Chen, Jingkai Zhao, Jiexu Ye, Beini Zhang, Sujing Li, Wei Li, Zhen Xu, Jing Meng, Xiang Gao and Shihan Zhang, IN: Nature Communications, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-75916-7

Direct air capture (DAC) is critical to achieve carbon neutrality, yet current technologies face significant barriers to widespread, cost-effective deployment. Amine-based electric swing adsorption (ESA) offers a promising low-energy, steam-free pathway, but its efficiency is fundamentally limited by an inherent 2:1 amine-to-CO₂ stoichiometric penalty. Here, the authors overcome this bottleneck by engineering a point defect-mediated proton trapping network into ESA sorbents, enabling a 1:1 amine-CO₂ stoichiometry. Their engineered sorbent achieves a CO₂ uptake of 6.57 mmol g−1 from 400 ppm CO₂, a 28.8% improvement over the state-of-the-art sorbents.

⁠LINK

#
Peer-reviewed Publications

Essalhi et al. (2026): Amine-Functionalized Covalent Organic Framework for Direct Air Capture of Carbon Dioxide

Mohamed Essalhi, Rawan A. Al Qahtani, Aasif Helal, Mona S. Otaibi, Ammar H. Alahmed, Zain H. Yamani, Islam M. A. Mekhemer and Mahmoud M. Abdelnaby, IN: Energy & Fuels, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.6c00750

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are promising materials for CO₂ capture due to their tunable porosity and chemical versatility. Herein, the authors report the postsynthetic functionalization of vinylene-linked V-COF-1 with tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (TAEA), yielding an amine-appended framework (V-COF-tris) with enhanced CO₂ affinity.

LINK⁠

#
Peer-reviewed Publications

An et al. (2026): Synergistic enhancement of direct air capture by dual-amine functionalized γ-Al₂O₃ and high gravity adsorption in a rotating adsorption bed

Keju An, Dylan Wald, Kejun Chen and Ryan King, IN: Separation and Purification Technology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2026.132720

Direct air capture (DAC) is fundamentally constrained by the extremely low concentration of atmospheric CO₂, which leads to slow adsorption kinetics and poor utilization of adsorption sites. While considerable efforts have been devoted to developing high-capacity amine sorbents, the role of process intensification in overcoming mass-transfer limitations remains insufficiently explored. In this work, a dual-amine PEI-TEPA functionalized γ-Al₂O₃ adsorbent was coupled with a rotating adsorption bed (RAB) to simultaneously optimize sorbent properties and gas–solid mass transfer for DAC applications.

LINK⁠

#
Peer-reviewed Publications

Luca (2026): Mechanistic Organic Electrochemistry for the Electrochemical Capture of Carbon Dioxide from Air

Oana Luca, IN: IOP Conference Series / Electrochemical Society Meeting Abstracts, https://doi.org/10.1149/MA2026-01452229mtgabs

Electro-swing carbon capture relies on modulating the redox state of an organic sorbent so that CO₂ is bound at one potential and released after a shift to another. Because this process is governed by electron transfer and the reactivity of reduced organic intermediates, it offers a direct interface with renewable electricity and avoids the thermodynamic penalties of thermal or pressure-swing systems. Mechanistically, an effective sorbent must undergo clean, reversible reduction, form a thermodynamically strong CO₂ adduct, and do so at potentials mild enough to avoid oxygen reduction—an essential requirement for direct air capture (DAC). This work integrates synthetic molecular design with mechanistic organic electrochemistry to develop improved quinone-based sorbents. Computational free energies of CO₂ addition were correlated with quinone reduction potentials, establishing a structure–reactivity relationship that guided the synthesis of new candidates. A quinone-annulated imidazolium scaffold was selected for its intrinsic charge and favorable redox profile, eliminating the need for supporting electrolyte.

LINK

#
Peer-reviewed Publications

Xu et al. (2026): A pathway to next-generation direct air capture using adsorbents

Yifei Xu, Qiyuan Li, Bingqiao Xie, Zixin Zhang et al., IN: Joule, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2026.102587

Direct air capture (DAC) provides a path to regulate the atmospheric CO₂ concentration and mitigate global warming. However, the scaling of DAC technology faces significant challenges in energy consumption and capture costs. Limited engineering experience and a lack of comprehensive design guidelines lead to significant knowledge gaps among researchers, engineers, and policymakers. This review identifies four critical engineering bottlenecks, summarizes cutting-edge solutions, and envisions future scenarios with matured DAC. The importance of contactor design and heat management for reducing energy consumption is highlighted, together with the necessity of system integration for improving techno-economic viability. Overall, this review seeks promising solutions and advocates blooming ideas to enhance practicability and scalability of adsorption DAC.

LINK

#
Peer-reviewed Publications

Keroglou & Ciez (2026): Process-based lifecycle climate, energy, water and material constraints of solid adsorbent production for gigaton-scale direct air capture

Ioannis Keroglou and Rebecca Ciez, IN: Energy & Environmental Science, https://doi.org/10.1039/D6EE03173K

Negative emissions technologies like direct air capture are critical for achieving global decarbonization targets. Sorbent materials are central to direct air capture systems, with solid adsorbents requiring lower regeneration temperatures and avoiding the evaporative losses of liquid sorbents. As use-phase emissions decline due to technological advances and the use of low-carbon power sources, sorbent manufacturing impacts become increasingly important. Prior studies of sorbent manufacturing rely on oversimplified life cycle inventories and proxy data, resulting in substantial uncertainty. Here, the authors apply a process-based model to develop sorbent-specific inventories for scaling the production of polyethyleneimine-based solid adsorbents and evaluate their cradle-to-gate climate change, fossil resource scarcity, and water use impacts in the United States.

LINK

#