A Supercapacitor Device for Carbon Capture

Low-cost battery-like device absorbs carbon dioxide emissions while it charges.

September 1, 2022

University of Cambridge, United Kingdom

Co-authors Israel Temprano and Grace Mapstone. (Image: Gabriella Bocchetti)

Researchers have developed a low-cost device that can selectively capture carbon dioxide gas while it charges. Then, when it discharges, the carbon dioxide (CO₂) can be released in a controlled way and collected to be reused or disposed of responsibly.

The supercapacitor device, which is similar to a rechargeable battery, is the size of a two-pence coin, and is made in part from sustainable materials including coconut shells and seawater.

Designed by researchers from the University of Cambridge, the supercapacitor could help power carbon capture and storage technologies at much lower cost. Around 35 billion tonnes of CO₂ are released into the atmosphere per year and solutions are urgently needed to eliminate these emissions and address the climate crisis. The most advanced carbon capture technologies currently require large amounts of energy and are expensive.

The supercapacitor consists of two electrodes of positive and negative charge. In work led by Trevor Binford while completing his Master’s degree at Cambridge, the team tried alternating from a negative to a positive voltage to extend the charging time from previous experiments. This improved the supercapacitor’s ability to capture carbon.

The team found that that by slowly alternating the current between the plates they can capture double the amount of CO₂ than before and plan to further investigate the precise mechanisms of CO₂ capture and improving them.

A supercapacitor is similar to a rechargeable battery but the main difference is in how the two devices store charge. A battery uses chemical reactions to store and release charge, whereas a supercapacitor does not rely on chemical reactions. Instead, it relies on the movement of electrons between electrodes, so it takes longer to degrade and has a longer lifespan.

According to the researchers, this field of research is very new so the precise mechanism working inside the supercapacitor still isn’t known.

For more information, contact Caroline Reid at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..