Coal emissions may be history with Carbon Sponge

This week a group of scientists hailing from Monash University and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) have claimed so-called Carbon Sponges may be able to soak up coal emissions. The possibility of this solution coming to a real-live working environment should have both the scientific community and the environmental activist community abuzz immediately if not soon due to its implications. The release shown by Monash University this week details a new method for carbon capture that includes sunlight – a brand new day for the environment.

The Monash University group speaking on a new technique this week say that current methods for carbon capture aren't as ideal as they could be. Speaking on how a new carbon sponge overcomes many of these difficulties with a sunlight release element, the Monash University Department of Checmical Engineering spoke of the photosensitive metal organic framework (MOF). With this MOF, the current technique (which includes liquid capture technologies heated to release resulting build-up) can be done away with entirely.

Also according to the release from Monash University, MOFs can be described in simplest terms as groups of metal atoms that are linked together with organic molecules. Massive amounts of gas can be stored here due to the high internal surface area of each group. With the solution proposed this week, this newest MOF was created with groups of azobenzene molecules of the light-sensitive variety.

So like a sponge you've got a material that easily collects matter then releases it when you like – simple and effective. At the moment it would appear that sets of researchers are working to make this MOF optimized in a way that allows for industrial environment-level efficiency – that'd be where we want to go for the big-time workplace.

According to Science Recorder, this study's findings can be found in the scienc journal Angewandte Chemie. Be sure to let them know, when you get there, that we're excited to see these miracle-workers in action soon!