small scale, big impact

Rice scientists develop simple but game-changing carbon capture device

Peng Zhu (left) and Haotian Wang developed a carbon-capture device prototype. Photos courtesy Jeff Fitlow/Rice University

A Rice University lab has developed an efficient, scalable way to capture carbon dioxide — and it just needs to be plugged into a power outlet to work.

The new technology developed in the lab of chemical and biomolecular engineer Haotian Wang, the William Marsh Rice Trustee Chair and an associate professor at Rice, uses electricity to remove carbon dioxide from air capture to induce a water-and-oxygen-based electrochemical reaction. The findings were shared in a study published in Nature last month.

Traditionally, carbon capture requires very energy intensive processes that need high temperatures and for the carbon that's been captured to be regenerated. The process also often requires large-scale infrastructure.

In the Wang lab's method, the small reactor can continuously remove carbon dioxide from a simulated flue gas with nearly 100 percent efficiency, generating between 10 to 25 liters of high-purity carbon using only the power of a standard lightbulb, according to a statement from Rice.

It does not create or consume chemicals, nor does it need to be heated up or pressurized, according to Wang. And it only requires a simple power source.

"The technology can be scaled up to industrial settings—power plants, chemical plants—but the great thing about it is that it allows for small-scale use as well: I can even use it in my office,” Wang says in the statement. “We could, for example, pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and continuously inject that concentrated gas into a greenhouse to stimulate plant growth. We’ve heard from space technology companies interested in using the device on space stations to remove the carbon dioxide astronauts exhale.”

Wang and lab member Peng Zhu, a chemical and biomolecular engineering graduate student at Rice and lead author on the study, initially made the discovery when working on an earlier version of the reactor intended for carbon dioxide utilization.

During this process Zhu noticed that gas bubbles flowed out of the reactor’s middle chamber when producing liquid products like acetic acid and formic acid, and that the number of bubbles would increase when more current was applied to the reactor.

This led the scientists to realize that the reactor was creating carbonate ions that were converted into a continuous flow of high-purity carbon dioxide after passing through the reactor's solid-electrolyte layer.

“Scientific discovery often requires this patient, continuous observation and the curiosity to learn what’s really going on, the choice not to neglect those phenomena that don’t necessarily fit in the experimental frame," Wang said in a statement.

A number of players in the Houston area have been making headway in carbon capture space in recent weeks.

Earlier this summer, the U.S. Department of Energy granted more than $45 million in federal funding to four Houston companies to promote the capture, transportation, use, and storage of tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

The Rice Alliance also recently named 15 startups to its Clean Energy Accelerator. A number of the fledgling companies are focused on carbon management and capture.

Video by Brandon Martin/Rice University

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A View From HETI

FlixBus and Greyhound have teamed up with global solar company Green Energy to install roof-mounted solar panels on its buses. Photo via FlixBus

Texas roadways will soon see buses with solar panels thanks to a new partnership.

FlixBus and Greyhound have teamed up with global solar company Green Energy to install roof-mounted solar panels on its buses. The companies will pilot the program with buses operating between Houston and Dallas.

“Expanding the use of solar panels on buses across the United States, FlixBus and Green Energy demonstrate how innovation, sustainability, and profitability can go hand-in-hand,” James Armstrong, president CEO of the Americas at Green Energy, says in a news release. “This partnership is a great example of how modern technology can contribute to a more sustainable future for the transportation and long-distance travel industry.”

Flix’s buses hope to cut carbon dioxide emissions, reduce idling, lower diesel consumption, and double battery life by utilizing solar technology. Also, using the charge controller with an Internet of Things solution will enable FlixBus to monitor diesel savings and carbon dioxide reduction, solar production, and also gather and analyze data for future improvements.

The initiative aligns with FlixBus's commitment to “advance sustainable and affordable travel for everyone,” according to the company. Plans are currently underway to expand this initiative to additional markets, with New Orleans also currently being used.

“Environmentally responsible operations are a core value for FlixBus, and we’ve been consistently pushing the boundaries of intercity transportation with innovative solutions that can help us reduce our impact,” Jay Miller, head of business development, west region at Flix North America, adds. “We’re thrilled to expand our partnership and bring this technology to the U.S. in yet another key step toward achieving our sustainability goals.”

FlixBus, a German company with its North American headquarters in Dallas, acquired Greyhound in 2021.

The pilot program will be a route between Houston and Dallas. Photo via Green Energy

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