New Living Material Captures Carbon Dioxide Like a Tree, Turns Buildings into Carbon Sinks
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📰 The quick summary: Scientists at ETH Zurich have created a living material that embeds photosynthetic bacteria into a printable gel, capturing carbon dioxide from the air both as biomass and in mineral form.
📈 One key stat: The new material can bind around 26 milligrams of CO2 per gram of material, significantly outperforming many biological approaches and comparable to chemical mineralization of recycled concrete.
💬 One key quote: “As a building material, it could help to store CO2 directly in buildings in the future.“
1️⃣ The big picture: Researchers from ETH Zurich have developed an innovative living material that combines conventional materials with photosynthetic bacteria known as cyanobacteria. This material can be shaped using 3D printing and requires only sunlight, carbon dioxide, and artificial seawater with nutrients to grow. What makes it special is its dual carbon sequestration ability – storing carbon not only through organic growth but also by forming solid carbonates or lime, creating a more stable and long-lasting carbon sink. The material continuously binds CO2 over time while simultaneously hardening from the inside, making it potentially useful as a construction material.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: This living material offers a low-energy, environmentally friendly approach to carbon sequestration that can supplement existing chemical processes. The material stays effective for over a year and captures carbon in two forms – biomass and minerals – with the minerals providing a more permanent carbon storage solution. By mimicking natural photosynthesis, it harnesses one of nature’s most efficient carbon-capturing mechanisms while providing the added benefit of structural reinforcement as the minerals build up inside the material. The technology has already moved beyond the laboratory, with architectural installations demonstrating its potential at large scales.
3️⃣ What’s next: Researchers aim to investigate how the material can function as a coating for building façades to bind CO2 throughout a building’s entire life cycle. Architectural applications have already been demonstrated in experimental installations at the Architecture Biennale in Venice and the Triennale di Milano. Further scaling and optimization of the production process will help make this technology more widely applicable.
Read the full story here: SciTechDaily – Carbon Capture Reimagined: New Material Removes CO₂ From Air Like a Tree
