Principal Current and Future Methods for Carbon Removal: Applications of Metal Oxides in Environmental Remediation

[Geoengineering News]

https://link.springer.com/rwe/10.1007/978-3-031-87501-4_9-1

Authors: Farhad Ali, Asadullah Dawood, Muhammad Ramzan & Zeenat Jabeen 

28 May 2026

Abstract

Metal oxides have emerged as highly versatile and chemically tunable materials for addressing the global challenge of rising CO₂ emissions, which reached a record 37.8 Gt in 2024. This chapter reviews both established and emerging carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies, positioning metal oxides as central materials across multiple strategies including direct air capture, mineralization, enhanced weathering, and photocatalytic CO₂ reduction. The distinct chemical properties of alkaline earth oxides (CaO, MgO), transition metal oxides (TiO₂, Fe₂O₃, MnOₓ, CuO), and mixed metal oxide perovskites are examined in terms of their CO₂ adsorption mechanisms, redox activity, thermal stability, and bandgap tunability. Beyond carbon capture, their significant role in environmental remediation—encompassing heavy metal removal, organic pollutant degradation, and gas-phase detoxification—is also discussed. Key challenges such as sintering, high regeneration energy demands, nanoparticle toxicity, and supply chain constraints are critically assessed alongside economic and policy frameworks. The chapter concludes by highlighting how advances in nanostructuring, doping, AI-driven materials discovery, and circular manufacturing pathways can unlock the full potential of metal oxides in achieving gigaton-scale, sustainable carbon removal.

Source: Springer Nature Link