A new type of porous material that can store carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases has been developed by a team of scientists led by Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland.
In collaboration with the University of Liverpool, Imperial College London, the University of Southampton and the East China University of Science and Technology in China, the team used computer simulations to predict exactly how molecules would assemble into a new type of porous material.
A study published in the journal Nature Synthesisdetails how scientists created hollow cellular molecules with a high capacity to store greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and sulfur hexafluoride. Sulfur hexafluoride is a more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide and can remain in the atmosphere for thousands of years.
These cell molecules were assembled using other cells to create a new type of porous material that scientists say is the first of its kind with a porous ‘cell cage’ structure.
Associate professor at the Institute of Chemical Sciences at Heriot-Watt University and materials scientist Dr. Mark Little accompanied the research.
He said: “This is an exciting discovery because we need new porous materials to help solve society’s biggest challenges, such as capturing and storing greenhouse gases.”
Computer modelers from Imperial College London and the University of Southampton created simulations to help the team understand and predict how cell molecules would assemble into this new type of porous material.
An integral part of the team was Professor Kim Jelfs from Imperial’s Department of Chemistry and the Digital Institute for Molecular Design and Manufacturing (DigiFAB), as well as Professor Andy Cooper from the University of Liverpool and the Innovative Materials Factory.
Dr. Little added: “Combining computational research like ours with emerging artificial intelligence technologies can produce an unprecedented number of new materials to address society’s most pressing problems, and this research is an important step in that direction.”
Dr. Little added that molecules with complex structures can also be used to remove toxic compounds known as volatile organic compounds from the air and can play an important role in medical science.
“We see this research as an important step towards unlocking such programs in the future,” he said.
Source: Port Altele
