Energy‐Coupled Crystalline Hexapodal Amine Sorbents for Low‐Energy Direct Air Capture and CO <sub>2</sub> Conversion

ABSTRACT Rising atmospheric ​carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentrations—now above 410 ppm—threaten climate stability. While point‐source carbon capture has advanced, it cannot address diffuse legacy emissions. Direct air capture (DAC) offers a complementary approach but is hampered by the high energy cost of sorbent regeneration under ambient conditions. Inspired by biological energy coupling, we developed a DAC system that links CO 2 binding with sorbent dissolution and release with recrystallization. Using branched hexapodal amines such as 2‐PHA , the system captures CO 2 from air at 0°C and releases it at 40°C using only mechanical stirring, without significant external heating. Exothermic formation of carbamate and bicarbonate drives sorbent dissolution, storing energy that is later recovered during crystallization to power desorption. This reversible coupling enriches atmospheric CO 2 to &gt;95% purity and integrates directly with electrocatalytic conversion. With tailored electrocatalysts, directly air‐captured CO 2 is reduced to carbon monoxide (CO) or formate with up to 99% Faradaic efficiency; the CO stream reaches 82% purity, suitable for direct use. This study introduces a generalizable design principle—coupling chemical capture with phase transitions—to minimize regeneration energy. The resulting platform is scalable, regenerable, and modular, offering a new low‐energy pathway for atmospheric CO 2 capture and utilization.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Functional Materials
Published
2026-07-27
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.76730
Primary Topic
Carbon Dioxide Capture Technologies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Energy‐Coupled Crystalline Hexapodal Amine Sorbents for Low‐Energy Direct Air Capture and CO 2 Conversion

Yongpeng Lei, Qing He, An Li, Yiming Zhang et al.
Advanced Functional Materials
Carbon Dioxide Capture Technologies
article

Energy‐Coupled Crystalline Hexapodal Amine Sorbents for Low‐Energy Direct Air Capture and CO 2 Conversion

Yongpeng Lei, Qing He, An Li, Yiming Zhang, Yue Wang
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT Rising atmospheric ​carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentrations—now above 410 ppm—threaten climate stability. While point‐source carbon capture has advanced, it cannot address diffuse legacy emissions. Direct air capture (DAC) offers a complementary approach but is hampered by the high energy cost of sorbent regeneration under ambient conditions. Inspired by biological energy coupling, we developed a DAC system that links CO 2 binding with sorbent dissolution and release with recrystallization. Using branched hexapodal amines such as 2‐PHA , the system captures CO 2 from air at 0°C and releases it at 40°C using only mechanical stirring, without significant external heating. Exothermic formation of carbamate and bicarbonate drives sorbent dissolution, storing energy that is later recovered during crystallization to power desorption. This reversible coupling enriches atmospheric CO 2 to &gt;95% purity and integrates directly with electrocatalytic conversion. With tailored electrocatalysts, directly air‐captured CO 2 is reduced to carbon monoxide (CO) or formate with up to 99% Faradaic efficiency; the CO stream reaches 82% purity, suitable for direct use. This study introduces a generalizable design principle—coupling chemical capture with phase transitions—to minimize regeneration energy. The resulting platform is scalable, regenerable, and modular, offering a new low‐energy pathway for atmospheric CO 2 capture and utilization.

Advanced Functional Materials
Central South University (CN), Hunan University (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities
Climate action
Openalex Percentile: Top 16%
Carbon Dioxide Capture Technologies
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Energy‐Coupled Crystalline Hexapodal Amine Sorbents for Low‐Energy Direct Air Capture and CO <sub>2</sub> Conversion — Yongpeng Lei, Qing He, et al. · Advanced Functional Materials (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS