The link between the rise in CO
2 concentration in the atmosphere and climate change has been well established by now. Because it is ordinarily emitted in low concentrations, the drive for capture and separation has been low. On one hand, CO
2 is a rather oxidized and stable molecule; on the other hand, it is a readily available feedstock that contains atoms found in nearly all organic substances. These two factors pose interesting challenges to scientists for how and why to capture and convert CO
2 into valuable chemicals. Although there has been intense research in materials science that has focused on synthesizing new adsorbents that may selectively retain CO
2, there is much less information on stable and effective catalysts for CO
2 conversion. Additionally, few studies address issues such as process-driven screening tools for the myriad of capture adsorbents being synthesized, or an understanding of CO
2 interaction on surfaces and tridimensional porous solids at a molecular level.
Scientists have attempted to overcome the unfavorable CO
2 capture conditions found in most emission scenarios by synthesizing highly porous solids with tailored chemistries, in order to increase selectivity toward CO
2 with respect to other gases. This has led to an overwhelming number of publications reporting synthesis routes, but often with limited concern for long-term process performance and material stability. The effect of contaminants (such as water, NO
x, and SO
x) is seldom addressed and the underlying interactions of CO
2 with atoms on the adsorbent/catalyst surface are not fully understood on the molecular level.
In practice, retained CO
2 may be desorbed, compressed, and transported for further storage and/or reaction. However, captured CO
2 in a confined space (such as nanopores) may also find adequate environmental conditions for
in situ reactions. According to a recent
review published in
Frontiers in Chemistry, heterogeneous catalysis for
in situ CO
2 conversion is still in its infancy and should be a topic of great interest for carbon capture and utilization (CCU) strategies. Hence, the goal of this Research Topic is to showcase how mainstream scientists investigating heterogeneous catalysis and adsorption have been addressing these issues.
To be considered for this collection, manuscripts must focus on innovative aspects related to either capture or conversion of carbon dioxide. We are particularly interested in papers that: (i) provide a rationale for the screening of CO
2 capture adsorbents; (ii) correlate long-term separation process performance with respect to CO
2 interactions with the solid surface at the molecular level; (iii) report experimental evidence of CO
2 conversion into valuable chemicals through heterogeneous catalysis (iv) elucidate the atomic-level phenomena significant for CO
2 adsorption and conversion processes. Perspective/Review contributions and Original Research papers on the following themes are welcome:
• Direct CO
2 capture from air and conversion to fuels (DAC to fuels)
• Multiscale screening of adsorbents for CO
2 capture
• Short-cut experimental methods to assess reaction and mass transfer kinetics related to CO
2 adsorption and conversion
• Statistical and quantum mechanics methods applied to CO
2 adsorption and conversion
•
In situ CO
2 catalytic conversion
• Novel catalysts to enhance CO
2 reactivity
