South Korean scientists have built a new concept device that absorbs noxious pollutants from the atmosphere and converts them into electricity, an advance that could help address climate change.
Amid global efforts to address climate change, carbon capture technology, which absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and stores it, has gained attention.
But these systems require substantial energy input for gas collection and processing.
To overcome this challenge, researchers in Seoul have developed a new mechanism that directly converts the energy generated during gas adsorption into electricity.
This approach goes beyond merely capturing greenhouse gases, instead transforming them into usable energy.
The prototype device, named Gas Capture and Electricity Generator, consists of a structure combining carbon-based electrodes with hydrogel materials.
It contains a carbon black-coated mulberry paper electrode with a dip-coated polyacrylamide hydrogel.
This structure enables selective gas adsorption and voltage generation, scientists say.
When greenhouse gases like nitrogen oxides or carbon dioxide are adsorbed, there’s a migration and redistribution of charged particles within the device.
This enables continuous direct current power generation without an external power source, according to a study published in the journal Energy & Environmental Science.
By using atmospheric pollutants as the "fuel" for electricity generation, the device in effect purifies the environment while supplying energy, scientists say.
Upon exposure to 50 parts per million of nitrous oxide, researchers say the generator delivers 0.8 volts and 55 microamperes of power.
While the energy generated is small, it can be scaled up to 3.8 volts and 140 microamperes via “series and parallel integration”, enough to power some wearables and environmental monitors, researchers say.
“By integrating gas capture and electricity generation within a single self-powered platform, this approach provides a scalable, low-energy pathway for mitigating multiple greenhouse gases,” the study noted.
Scientists hope the technology can be further developed for use in smart environmental sensors, battery-free devices connected to the internet, and in industrial facilities where large volumes of emissions are generated.
In these scenarios, they say, the device can enable simultaneous energy harvesting and carbon reduction.
If it can be integrated into energy systems, it may accelerate the realisation of carbon neutrality.
"This research demonstrates that greenhouse gases are not merely pollutants to be managed, but can serve as a new energy resource,” said professor Ji Soo Jang from the Department of Nanoengineering at Sungkyunkwan University.
“We aim to further develop this technology into an environmental platform that not only achieves carbon neutrality but also generates energy,” Dr Jang said.
