UCLA Develops Synthetic ‘Gene’ to Capture Carbon Emissions
February 12th, 2010 by 
Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles have created a synthetic “gene” they say can capture carbon dioxide emissions.
Omar M. Yaghi, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry, has developed thousands of so-called crystal sponges that absorb gases and have proven effective in the lab at storing CO2.
The synthetic crystals, which code information in a “DNA-like manner,” have nanoscale-sized pores that Yaghi says allow molecules to go in and out.
The latest results, which Yaghi says could lead to more efficient carbon capture at factories and power plants, are published in the journal Science.
“Potentially, we could create a material that can convert carbon dioxide into fuel, or a material that can separate carbon dioxide with greater efficiency,” said Yaghi, a member of the California NanoSystems Institute.
The research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Basic Energy Sciences.
Article appearing courtesy Yale Environment 360.
photo: freefotouk
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