A new type of porous material that can store carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases has been developed by a team of scientists jointly led by Heriot-Watt University.

In a collaboration with the University of Liverpool, Imperial College London, the University of Southampton, and East China University of Science and Technology in China, the team used computer modelling to accurately predict how molecules would assemble themselves into the new type of porous material.

The research, published in the journal Nature Synthesis, details how the scientists created hollow, cage-like molecules with high storage capacities for greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and sulphur hexafluoride. Sulphur hexafluoride is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide and can last thousands of years in the atmosphere.

These cage molecules were assembled using other cages to create a new type of porous material that the scientists say is the first of its kind in its porous ‘cage of cages’ structure.

Materials scientist Dr Marc Little (pictured), an assistant professor at Heriot-Watt University’s Institute of Chemical Sciences said: “This is an exciting discovery because we need new porous materials to help solve society’s biggest challenges, such as capturing and storing greenhouse gases.”

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