Developing a molecular platform for potential carbon dioxide fixing

Abstract

This paper presents an attempt to develop a new system for fixing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The proposed molecular system has been designed to have the capacity to spontaneously bind CO₂ from the atmosphere with high affinity. The molecular system is furthermore designed to have the ability to liberate CO₂ at a later stage in the process, i.e., in a separate compartment. The liberated CO₂ presents a carbon neutral way of obtaining pure CO₂. The proposed molecular system is based on a small stable organic molecule that potentially have two forms: one without bound CO₂ and one with bound CO₂. One class of molecules that undergo a reaction compatible with our purposal is the merocyanine dyes that exhibit photochromic properties. Based on this structural class of molecules, a system for the potential fixing of CO₂ has been developed.