Carbon Distillation Electric Sponge

Cambridge: Scientists have created a sponge that can absorb carbon from the air.

This sponge works like a battery by charging the charcoal. When it is charged, the charcoal ‘sponge’ is able to extract carbon dioxide directly from the air.

The scientists involved in the research said that they chose this material because it is cheap, stable and abundant.

Activated charcoal generally does not capture and store carbon dioxide from the air. However, in the study, the researchers found that when it was charged like a battery, it became a suitable material for this.

Scientists said it could be an energy-efficient alternative to carbon distillation methods.

“Squeezing carbon emissions from the atmosphere is a last resort, but given the scale of the climate emergency, this solution is something we need to investigate,” said Alexander Force, head of research from the University of Cambridge.

In the study, the researchers used an activated charcoal cloth and charged it with hydroxide ions. These ions accumulated in the fine pores of the charcoal, after which they were able to extract carbon dioxide from the air because they had formed bonds with the hydroxides.