Capturing and purifying CO2 while producing energy
Reducing the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere and recovering it are among the main strategies to combat climate change. The research group at Politecnico di Torino, led by Andrea Lamberti, professor at the Department of Applied Science and Technology (DISAT), has been working since 2021 on the CO2CAP project, funded by a Starting Grant from the European Research Council (ERC). They have since achieved several important results, culminating in the development of a potentially disruptive innovation.
The research has led to a new technology applicable to supercapacitors-energy storage devices already available on the market and among the most promising for advancing energy storage and recovery. Supercapacitors complement batteries both in terms of their production process and end use. For example, they are better suited to storing energy from renewable sources, where the integration with batteries is often suboptimal.
‘With CO₂CAP we have developed a smart and multifunctional technology: thanks to a customized supercapacitor, we are able to simultaneously manage the capture of CO₂ and the conversion and storage of energy' says Andrea Lamberti. 'A concrete step towards integrated, sustainable systems that can be adapted to the needs of the energy transition.’
The CO2CAP research group focused on innovating two key components of supercapacitors: optimising the electrodes and introducing a highly innovative electrolyte-an ionic liquid, a pure salt without solvent that remains in a liquid state at room temperature. Most notably, the team added a crucial functionality to the supercapacitor: by introducing an exhaust gas containing CO2 (e.g. from industrial processes) into the device, the supercapacitor can selectively capture carbon dioxide while simultaneously converting the capture energy into electricity. The captured CO2 can then be reused-transformed into high-value products such as reagents, organic compounds, or polymers-and the energy recovered.
This new technology shared in a new paper in Advanced Energy and Sustainability Research, offers numerous advantages. Firstly, it adds an entirely new functionality to supercapacitors, which can now produce energy as well as store it, while also capturing and purifying CO2. Secondly, it can be integrated into existing supercapacitor devices and does not require new production lines. As such, it could appeal to current manufacturers of batteries and supercapacitors.
The European Union's European Battery Alliance plans to create 30 gigafactories for the production of batteries and supercapacitors by 2030. The new technology developed by the Politecnico di Torino team is expected to reach the implementation phase-following Proof of Concept steps to raise its Technology Readiness Level (TRL)-just as the market enters a phase of rapid expansion.
This technology could also benefit industrial sectors where CO2 emissions are particularly high, such as concrete and glass manufacturing, as well as in production facilities that significantly contribute to global CO2 emissions.
