Battery-like device captures CO2 from air using electricity, cuts energy use by one-third | carboncredit.io

Researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Toyota Research Institute have developed a battery-like electrochemical system that captures carbon dioxide directly from the air using electricity instead of heat. The device uses potassium-stabilized manganese dioxide electrodes to change liquid acidity, absorbing CO2 when alkaline and releasing it when less alkaline. Early tests show energy use around 2.77 gigajoules per ton of CO2, which dropped to 1.76 gigajoules per ton after controlled fluid mixing reduced energy waste by over one-third. The system works at room temperature with widely available materials and performed well in oxygen-rich air, producing concentrated CO2 suitable for storage or reuse. Key challenges remain including fluid mixing between capture and release streams, gas leakage at higher pressures, and low overall productivity that needs improvement before large-scale deployment. The approach could integrate with renewable energy sources and offers a new pathway for direct air capture that complements existing point-source methods.