Researchers at Kyoto University, the University of Tokyo and Jiangsu Normal University have developed a material to selectively capture CO2 molecules and convert them into useful organic materials. The porous coordination polymer (PCP) is made of zinc metal ions and can capture CO2 ten times more efficiently than other PCPs. The converted material can be used to make polyurethane, which in turn can be used in household appliances, packaging and clothing. In their study, published today in Nature Communications, researchers from Kyoto, Osaka and Nanjing universities report that they successfully produced PCP by using an inexpensive method for making carbon nanotubes.
Researchers at Kyoto University, the University of Tokyo and Jiangsu Normal University have developed a material to selectively capture CO2 molecules and convert them into useful organic materials. The porous coordination polymer (PCP) is made of zinc metal ions and can capture CO2 ten times more efficiently than other PCPs. The converted material can be used to make polyurethane, which in turn can be used in household appliances, packaging and clothing. The PCP's propeller-like molecular structure enables it to sieve molecules by shape and size, and it is recyclable, with its efficiency not decreasing after 10 reaction cycles.