Designer Nitrogen-Linked Carbons Cut CO2 Capture Energy Costs
Chiba University researchers developed viciazites—carbon materials with adjacent, controllably arranged nitrogen groups—that enable CO2 capture and desorption at much lower temperatures (desorption below 60 °C), potentially using industrial waste heat to cut operating costs. Different adjacent nitrogen configurations showed varying performance: adjacent –NH2 and pyrrolic nitrogen improved CO2 uptake, while adjacent pyridinic nitrogen offered less benefit. This work provides a design framework for cheaper, next‑generation carbon capture materials and could have broader uses beyond CO2 removal.