Abstract: Most current climate models suggest that limiting warming to <2°C will require large-scale deployment of negative emissions technologies (NETs). NETs, which remove CO₂ from the atmosphere, are projected to be needed at a scale of 10 Gt/yr by 2050; yet, virtually none have been deployed. NETs may be natural or technological, with one of the most scalable technological approaches being the direct capture of CO₂ from the air, or ​“direct air capture” (DAC). Because of the ultra-dilute nature of air, the separation of CO₂ from this mixture presents a significant engineering challenge.

In this lecture, I will describe the design and synthesis, characterization and application of new supported amine materials that we have developed as cornerstones of new technologies for the removal of CO₂ from dilute (flue gas) and ultra-dilute (air) gas streams. I will describe the development of these materials, how they integrate into scalable DAC technologies, and their key physicochemical structure-property relationships. DAC technologies offer an interesting case study for the parallel design of materials, unit operations, and processes in chemical engineering.