Current carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technologies require high energy input and costly catalysts. Here, an effective pathway is offered that addresses climate action by atmospheric CO2 sequestration. Industrially relevant highly reactive alkali cellulose solutions are used as CO2 absorption media. The latter lead to mineralized cellulose materials (MCM) at a tailorable cellulose‐to‐mineral ratio, forming organic‐inorganic viscous systems (viscosity from 102 to 107 mPa s and storage modulus from 10 to 105 Pa). CO2 absorption and conversion into calcium carbonate and associated minerals translate to maximum absorption of 6.5 gCO2 gcellulose−1, tracking inversely with cellulose loading. Cellulose lean gels are easily converted into dry powders, shown as a functional component of ceramic glazes and cementitious composites. Meanwhile, cellulose‐rich gels are moldable and extrudable, yielding stone‐like structures tested as artificial substrates for coral reef restoration. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) suggests new CCU opportunities for building materials, as demonstrated in underwater deployment for coral reef ecosystem restoration.
Cellulose–CO2 Grapes
In article number 2209327, Guillermo Reyes, Orlando J. Rojas, and co‐workers demonstrate carbon capture and utilization (CCU) in industrially relevant and reactive alkali cellulose solutions, which are transformed into hybrid, mineralized materials. They can be molded into supports for coral‐reef restoration and in the production of structures relevant to ceramics and cement composites (Image: scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image of a sample with ca. 7 nm Au/Pt coating, colored according to energy‐dispersive spectroscopy.
The need to get an appropriate quantification of the sustainability indicators involves the use of site-specific information that could come from several sources, affecting its quality. This study analyses the quality and sources to build eight environmental, seven social and four economic indicators for eight electricity generation technologies in 2005, 2009 and 2015 as reference years, following the ISO 14.040-44:2006 life cycle assessment approach. The results show for the three dimensions important differences among the periods, reaching over 400% of reduction in 2015 in case of acidification for coal power plants, thanks to environmental regulations. For levelized electricity cost and corruption index, the variations reach around 40% and 30%, mainly for fossil fuel-based power plants. These changes support the need to have a centralized, reliable and accurate data system of registration, in order to contribute to the sustainability of the electricity system in Chile.
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