Recent advances in additive manufacturing for solid adsorbent materials in carbon capture

Conventional powder/pellet-based systems used for mitigating the environmental challenges posed by CO 2 emissions present inefficiencies in mass/heat transfer, pressure drop, and clogging. Monolithic adsorption materials have emerged as a promising alternative to such systems. Additive manufacturing (AM) enables precise structural optimization and active component control in monolithic adsorbents, enhancing the adsorption kinetics while minimizing mechanical wear. This review examines the progress in AM-driven CO 2 adsorbent development, covering the following aspects: (1) fabrication techniques for monolithic adsorbents and key metrics for evaluating their mechanical and adsorption properties, (2) applications of AM methods (extrusion, coating, gel spinning, and 3D printing) under fixed-source and direct-air capture scenarios, and (3) integrated systems combining CO 2 adsorption and conversion. However, balancing adsorption performance with mechanical strength is a critical challenge. The trade-off can be addressed through advanced AM strategies such as hybrid material architectures and computational design. Future advancements will hinge on hybrid AM techniques to decouple structural and functional demands, AI/ML-driven multi-objective optimization for pore structure refinement and stress distribution, and lifecycle sustainability analytics to reduce energy use and material waste. By synergizing these approaches, next-generation monolithic adsorbents can achieve high capacity, mechanical robustness, and cost-effectiveness, positioning AM as a scalable and sustainable platform for carbon capture technologies.