Asymmetric Electrosorption in a Bio‐Inspired Reactor Enables Energy Efficient Ocean Carbon Removal
Abstract Ocean carbon removal represents a promising pathway for mitigating residual anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), yet existing methods are constrained by high energy demands and potential ecological risks. Here, inspired by the natural calcification process of corals, we present a bio‐inspired capacitive decarbonization (CDC) reactor that sequesters dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) from seawater as CaCO 3 using only seawater‐derived Ca 2+ and renewable electricity. The CDC system integrates a Ca 2+ ‐selective electrode with a weak electric field to regulate ion transport and disrupt the hydration shell of Ca 2+ , enhancing its reaction with CO 3 2− . To address the limited concentration of CO 3 2− relative to Ca 2+ in seawater, we introduce an asymmetric electrosorption strategy to preferentially enrich CO 3 2− at the electrode interface, achieving a DIC conversion rate of up to 34% with an ultralow intrinsic electrochemical energy input of 2.5 kJ mol −1 CO 2 for the CDC reactor. The reactor exhibits stable continuous operation for over 100 h without fouling, enabled by spatially decoupled CaCO 3 precipitation. To mitigate the reduction in seawater alkalinity, we introduce a mineral‐assisted re‐alkalinization step that effectively restores pH and supports continued CO 2 absorption. A global integrated analysis model shows the CDC technology could remove up to 11–438 million tonnes of CO 2 by 2050–2100. This work demonstrates a scalable and low‐energy solution for durable ocean carbon removal.
Authors
- Meng Lin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7785-749X)
- Yang Ou
- Yandi Hu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8506-9335)
- Haodong Ji (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7804-798X)
- Huazhang Zhao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2393-5012)
- Zishuai Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9268-4889)
- Jay Fuhrman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1853-6850)
- Kuichang Zuo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3922-8702)
- Juan Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8456-203X)
- Jundong Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7402-5495)
- Yifang Zhu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1838-612X)
Institutions
- Joint Global Change Research Institute (US)
- Shenzhen University (CN)
- Peking University (CN)
- Southern University of Science and Technology (CN)
- Ministry of Education (RO)
- Ministry of Education (SA)
- Zero to Three (US)
- University of Maryland, College Park (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Angewandte Chemie
- Published
- 2025-10-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/ange.202515007
- Primary Topic
- Membrane-based Ion Separation Techniques
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00