Giga-Scale Air-to-Chemicals Pipeline

Conventional DAC systems use fans to direct air over sorbent surfaces to capture CO₂ molecules. To maintain steady capture rates, these systems rely on the simultaneous operation of two chemical loops – one for CO₂ capture and another for sorbent regeneration. This dual-loop operation inherently increases system complexity and cost. In this talk, I will start by introducing a novel approach to sustain high capture rates using just a single chemical loop, while also eliminating the need for fans. This approach is made possible by discovering the new chemical properties of the KOH sorbent and developing a carbonate crystallizer, which together convert CO₂ directly into solid carbonates at the air interface of a KOH solution. This approach significantly streamlines the overall DAC process and reduces costs.

Next, I will introduce an electrochemical method that processes the solid carbonate, collected from the crystallizer after capture, to regenerate the KOH sorbent and separate CO₂. This method enables sorbent regeneration while simultaneously producing a high-purity CO₂ stream by inducing a pH swing across two separated cells. As the final step, this pure CO₂ stream can be used to produce valuable products for human society. I will present our recent results on electrochemical CO₂ reduction to ethylene under acidic conditions. I will conclude with my perspectives on promising future approaches to achieve a scalable air (CO₂)-to-chemicals pipeline.