answersLogoWhite

0

CRYSTALLINE sponges pocked with pores that are just the right size to trap carbon dioxide molecules could filter the fumes from power stations and cars. What's more, the trapped CO2 can then be sucked from the crystals and piped into containers and buried underground, allowing the crystals to be reused. Carbon capture and storage has been touted as a powerful weapon against global warming. Until now, the only way to strip CO2 from car exhaust, flue gases or power-plant emissions was to bubble them through a solvent that reacts with CO2. The trouble is that subsequently removing the gas from the solvent requires heat, limiting the efficiency of the process. "Anything that has the potential to reduce this 'energy penalty' is extremely valuable," says Stuart Haszeldine, an expert on carbon capture at the University of Edinburgh, UK. So Omar Yaghi and colleagues at the University of California, Los Angeles, created powders made of porous crystals that soak up CO2. When the crystals are fully loaded, the gas can be released by a drop in pressure, which sucks the CO2 right out. Their crystals, called "zeolitic imidazolate frameworks" (ZIFs), have pores that are big enough to allow CO2 molecules inside, but small enough to retain them. The crystals are created by blending cobalt or zinc with organic molecules called imidazolates - the pore size depends on the imidazolate used. The researchers created 25 different ZIFs but only three had pores of about the right size to trap CO2. The team bubbled a mixture of CO2 and carbon monoxide (CO) gas over each of them. All three trapped CO2, with the most efficient soaking up 83 times its own volume, but little CO (Science, DOI: 10.1126/science.1152516). To bury CO2 the gas must not be contaminated by other molecules - which might be toxic and leach out - so this selectivity is key. "We're optimistic that within a year or two these materials will be ready for testing in power stations," says Rahul Banerjee, a member of the UCLA team. ZIFs should be tough enough to survive harsh conditions inside power stations, he says. In tests, they withstood temperatures of 400 °C.

User Avatar

Wiki User

16y ago

What else can I help you with?

Related Questions

What is the primary plant pigment the absorbs sunlight during photosynthesis?

Chlorophyll is the primary pigment that absorbs sunlight during photosynthesis. It is the pigment that is able to absorb the light energy and convert it into chemical energy by loosing electrons easily when struck by light.


What is a compound needed for photosynthesis called?

The compound needed for photosynthesis is called chlorophyll. It is a pigment found in plant cells that is responsible for capturing sunlight and converting it into chemical energy during the process of photosynthesis.


What is primary plants pigment that absorbs sunlight during photosynthesis?

Chlorophyll is the primary pigment that absorbs sunlight during photosynthesis. It is the pigment that is able to absorb the light energy and convert it into chemical energy by loosing electrons easily when struck by light.


What is the compound in a chloroplast that traps energy and gives the chloroplast its green color?

The compound in a chloroplast that traps energy and gives the chloroplast its green color is chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a pigment that absorbs sunlight during photosynthesis, allowing plants to convert light energy into chemical energy.


what gets absorbed from the atmosphere during photosynthesis?

The plant absorbs carbon dioxide during the process of photosynthesis.


What absorbs light during the process of photosynthesis?

Chlorophyll


What cell is used to trap light during photosynthesis?

Chloroplasts are the cells responsible for trapping light during photosynthesis. They contain the pigment chlorophyll, which absorbs light energy and converts it into chemical energy that the plant can use.


Which of the following substances is directly involved in photosynthesis?

Chlorophyll is the substance directly involved in photosynthesis. It is a pigment found in the chloroplasts of plant cells that absorbs light energy and converts it into chemical energy during the process of photosynthesis.


What is the chemical in which plants turn light energy from the sun into chemical energy or food called?

The chemical in which plants convert light energy into chemical energy or food is called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a pigment that absorbs sunlight during photosynthesis to produce glucose, which is the plant's source of energy.


What is the primary plant pigment that absorb sunlight during photosynthesis?

Chlorophyll is the primary pigment that absorbs sunlight during photosynthesis. It is the pigment that is able to absorb the light energy and convert it into chemical energy by loosing electrons easily when struck by light.


What chemical in plants help trap sunlight?

Chlorophyll is the primary pigment in plants responsible for trapping sunlight during photosynthesis. It absorbs light energy and converts it into chemical energy used to drive the process of photosynthesis.


What is a chemical reaction that absorbs heat energy and stores it the chemical bonds of the product?

An example of a chemical reaction that absorbs heat energy and stores it in the chemical bonds of the product is photosynthesis, where carbon dioxide and water react in the presence of sunlight to produce glucose and oxygen. The energy from sunlight is absorbed during the reaction and stored in the bonds of glucose.