A new material has been discovered that captures greenhouse gases faster than trees

A research team led byHeriot-Watt Universityin collaboration with the University of Liverpool, Imperial College London, the University of Southampton and the East China University of Science and Technology, has developed a new type of porous material capable of storing carbon dioxide and other gases greenhouse.

The material, described in the magazine Nature Synthesis, is composed of hollow, cage-shaped molecules that assemble into a novel structure, defined by scientists as a “cage of cages”. This facility shows a high storage capacity for greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and sulfur hexasulfide, the latter known for its high environmental impact and long persistence in the atmosphere.

Dr. Marc Little of Heriot-Watt University underlined the importance of these porous materials: «This is an exciting discovery because we need new porous materials to help solve society’s biggest challenges, such as capture and the storage of greenhouse gases”