The emergence of a new type of zeolite ZIFs material for carbon dioxide adsorption

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Xinhua Net, Los Angeles, February 15 (Reporter Gao Yuan) American researchers have recently developed a new material capable of absorbing carbon dioxide, which can help reduce the emissions of this greenhouse gas. According to a report in the American journal Science published on the 15th, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles have developed a new generation of zeolite imidazolate framework materials (ZIFs) using chemical synthesis methods. These materials are capable of effectively absorbing carbon dioxide emitted from factory chimneys and car exhaust systems. ZIFs are a class of materials with adjustable pore sizes and chemical properties; they exhibit high stability and structural diversity, can separate substances, adsorb and store gases, and serve as catalysts for heterogeneous catalysis. Researchers say that the new generation of ZIF materials has a strong adsorption capacity, allowing them to capture carbon dioxide and prevent it from being released into the atmosphere; such materials that have captured carbon dioxide can then be buried underground. For example, a 1-liter volume of ZIFs material can absorb up to 83 liters of carbon dioxide. Omar Yaghi, the chemist leading this research, said that placing ZIFs materials around the inner walls of the chimneys of factories that emit carbon dioxide can significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions; the same effect can be achieved by installing ZIFs materials in car exhaust systems. However, the U.S. Department of Energy believes that although the new generation of ZIF materials have the potential to **reduce the costs of processing carbon dioxide, further testing is still required.