Capturing CO₂ from industrial emissions is vital to combating climate change, but current methods are costly and inefficient. Graphene, a material with tiny pores, could efficiently separate CO₂ from other gases.
However, producing high-quality graphene membranes at scale is expensive and tricky. It requires costly materials like copper foils and delicate techniques that often lead to defects. The main challenge is finding a way to make these membranes affordably and reliably.
The EPFL team has developed a breakthrough technique to create affordable, high-quality graphene membranes that efficiently filter CO₂ from gases. They achieved this by growing graphene on cheaper copper foils and using ozone to etch tiny pores for precise, selective filtration. Their method ensures uniform pore distribution across large areas, making it scalable for industrial use, unlocking real-world carbon capture applications, and more.
Researchers designed an innovative transfer technique to overcome membrane fragility that eliminates handling and reduces failure rates. Instead of floating fragile graphene onto support, they transferred it directly within the membrane module, ensuring near-perfect integrity.
This breakthrough enabled them to create large 50 cm² graphene membranes with outstanding CO₂ selectivity and gas permeability, marking a significant step forward in efficiency and scalability.
By refining the oxidation process, researchers boosted the density of CO₂-selective pores, significantly enhancing the membrane’s performance. Computational simulations validated that optimized gas flow across the membrane was key to achieving this.
Unlike traditional CO₂ capture methods that depend on energy-intensive chemical processes, these graphene membranes operate through pressure-driven filtration without requiring heat input. This innovation drastically reduces energy consumption, making carbon capture more efficient and practical for widespread implementation. It truly has the potential to revolutionize the field.
This method isn’t limited to carbon capture—it could also be used for hydrogen purification and oxygen production. With a scalable and affordable production process, EPFL’s innovation brings graphene membranes closer to being commercially viable.
Journal Reference:
- Hao, J., Gebolis, P.M., Gach, P.M. et al. Scalable synthesis of CO2-selective porous single-layer graphene membranes. Nat Chem Eng (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s44286-025-00203-z
Source: Tech Explorist
