An artificial leaf that captures carbon dioxide. Free Technical Library News

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Artificial leaf that captures carbon dioxide

01.02.2022

Engineers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have created a carbon dioxide (CO2) air purification system that uses less energy than a 1W LED light bulb and captures 100 times more CO2 than other artificial leaves. And he does it in a real environment.

"It's scalable, modules can be added or removed to better suit needs and affordable use in homes and classrooms, not just profitable industrial organizations. A small module the size of a home humidifier can remove more than 1 kg of CO2 per day, and four industrial electrodialysis more than 300 kg of CO2 per hour,” said Minesh Singh, assistant professor of chemical engineering at the University of Illinois College of Engineering at Chicago and author of the paper.

American researchers placed a standard unit of artificial photosynthesis in a transparent capsule with water and a semi-permeable outer layer. When sunlight hit the device, the water evaporated through the "pores", and in its place carbon dioxide was drawn in, which the indoor unit converted into carbon monoxide. At the same time, CO can be extracted from the device and used to produce synthetic fuel (made from a mixture of CO and H2). This idea could well interest Elon Musk.

Inexpensive materials have been used to integrate an electrically charged membrane that acts as a water gradient on both the dry and wet sides. On the dry side, the organic solvent combines with the trapped carbon dioxide and converts it into concentrated bicarbonate (baking soda) that accumulates on the membrane. As bicarbonate is formed, the negatively charged ions are attracted through the membrane to the positively charged electrode in the water-based solution on the wet side of the membrane. The liquid dissolves the bicarbonate back into carbon dioxide. An electrical charge is used to speed up the transfer of bicarbonate across the membrane.

The size of this system is about the size of an ordinary city backpack. Its rate of carbon capture compared to the surface area required for the reactions is 3,3 mmol per 1 hour per 4 cm2. This is more than 100 times better than other systems. At the same time, 0,4 kJ/h of electricity is needed to power the reaction. The authors calculated that the cost of 1 ton of carbon dioxide would be $145, which is in line with the recommendations of the Department of Energy ($200 per ton).

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The clatter of keys as a personal mark 26.09.2006

American scientists have come up with a new way to identify computer users.

Thirteen years ago, Dr. Marcus Brown of the University of Alabama, together with his graduate student, came up with a system for identifying a person by his handwriting while working at the keyboard. For this, a neural network program was compiled, which not only very accurately measures the time intervals that a person spends pressing and releasing a key, but also knows how to draw the appropriate conclusions.

Scientists patented this method and successfully forgot about it. However, in 2004, the Center for Technology Commercialization appeared at the university.

"We want to ensure that university staff are confident that even the most significant result will be noticed and appreciated, and more than once" - this is how the university's vice president for research, Dr. Keith McDowell, formulated the main slogan of the center. In full accordance with this idea, the staff of the center managed to find buyers for the patent of Marcus Brown, and he, along with his former student, received $ 15 each.

"Honestly, I never imagined that the idea that we were engaged in as entertainment, could bring such a significant result," - says the scientist.

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