Research Projects

Global warming and climate change are among the most critical challenges for our planet and living beings. Atmospheric CO₂ levels have surged to 415 ppm, increasing by 2 to 3 ppm annually, primarily due to industrial activities and vehicular emissions. If this trend continues, crossing the tipping point of 450 ppm could lead to irreversible environmental damage. This underscores the urgent need for effective CO₂ capture technologies to combat the consequences of climate change. With approximately 50 billion tons of CO₂ emitted annually, it is estimated that around 100,000 CO₂ capture plants, each with a capacity of 0.5 gigatons per year, are required to address this issue. Countries such as the USA, Canada, Norway, Australia, the UK, UAE, Saudi Arabia, China, the Netherlands, and Iceland have already initiated research and established demonstration plants for CO₂ capture. India, the third-largest CO₂ emitter (2.9 metric tons in 2023) after the USA and China, has a significant role to play in these global efforts. Given its history of adopting solutions that benefit both local and global communities, India must not lag behind. Our objective is to develop advanced technologies tailored for effective commercialization, contributing to a sustainable future. This proposal targets CO₂ capture from industrial fossil fuel sources with concentrations of 10–15% and from ambient air at 400 ppm using direct air capture (DAC) technologies based on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Unlike traditional liquid amines, which require high regeneration energy and degrade over time, releasing harmful byproducts, MOFs offer a customizable alternative with high surface area and exceptional gas adsorption properties. MOFs with amine and nitrogenous heteroatom functionality, in particular, have shown great potential for CO₂ capture due to the strong interactions between the nitrogen center and CO₂ molecules. This research aims to design and develop novel MOFs with superior CO₂ adsorption capacity and selectivity, advancing sustainable carbon capture technologies. While challenges remain, the focus will be on enhancing bulk production techniques for MOFs, ensuring scalability and compatibility with innovative, eco-friendly CO₂ capture devices. Although preliminary studies by Indian and international researchers have demonstrated the feasibility of MOF-based CO2 capture, commercialization remains a significant hurdle. This proposal addresses these challenges by developing efficient production processes and integrating MOFs into advanced devices capable of capturing CO2 from concentrated sources (e.g., flue gas) and dilute sources (e.g., atmospheric air). This work represents a critical step toward the widespread commercialization of MOF-based carbon capture solutions.