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Electrified charcoal ‘sponge’ can soak up CO2 directly from air

Researchers have developed a low-cost, energy-efficient method for making materials that can capture carbon dioxide directly from the air.

An international team including Phillip Milner, assistant professor of chemistry in the College of Arts & Sciences, used a method similar to charging a battery to instead charge activated charcoal, which is often used in household water filters.

By charging the charcoal ‘sponge’ with ions that form reversible bonds with CO2, the researchers found the charged material could successfully capture CO2 directly from the air.

Read the full story on The College of Arts & Sciences website.

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