Metal-organic frameworks reactivate deceased diatoms to be efficient CO(2) absorbents

Abstract

Diatomite combined with certain metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is shown to be an effective CO2 absorbent, although diatomite alone is regarded as inert with respect to CO2 absorption. This finding opens the prospect of reactivating millions of tons of diatomite for CO2 absorption. It also shows for the first time that diatom frustules can act as CO2 buffers, an important link in a successive biological CO2 concentration mechanism chain that impacts on global warming.

Keywords: carbon storage; diatoms; metal-organic frameworks; nanostructures; template synthesis.