February 22, 2023
With the world focused on addressing climate change, scientists have had to get creative when it comes to developing sustainable building materials that tackle carbon dioxide emissions. Scientists have now devised a new way of engineering wood that makes it stronger and captures carbon dioxide from the air.
Carbon dioxide is recognized as a fundamental contributing factor to climate change. Limiting carbon dioxide emissions associated with the production of structural materials like steel, metal, and cement is a way of indirectly addressing climate change. A direct approach is reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide by capturing it in structural materials.
Scientists at Rice University, Texas, have exploited the natural properties of wood to enhance its ability to capture carbon dioxide. The process involves the introduction of highly-porous microparticle metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) into the wood after the internal framework has been cleared out. This process is known as delignification.
