Technological and
medical advances over the past few
decades epitomize
human capabilities. However, the increased life expectancies and concomitant
land-use changes have significantly contributed to the release of
∼830 gigatons of CO2 into the atmosphere over the
last three decades, an amount comparable to the prior two and a half
centuries of CO2 emissions. The United Nations has adopted
a pledge to achieve “net zero”, i.e., yearly removing
as much CO2 from the atmosphere as the amount emitted due
to human activities, by the year 2050. Attaining this goal will require
a concerted effort by scientists, policy makers, and industries all
around the globe. The development of novel materials on industrial
scales to selectively remove CO2 from mixtures of gases
makes it possible to mitigate CO2 emissions using a multipronged
approach. Broadly, the CO2 present in the atmosphere can
be captured using materials and processes for biological, chemical,
and geological technologies that can sequester CO2 while
also reducing our dependence on fossil-fuel reserves. In this review,
we used the curated literature available in the CAS Content Collection
to present a systematic analysis of the various approaches taken by
scientists and industrialists to restore carbon balance in the environment.
Our analysis highlights the latest trends alongside the associated
challenges.
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