The carbon dioxide (CO2) emission problem that the earth is facing now.For example, the world's largest thermal power plant emits as much as 1 CO2s a day in the Great Pyramids of Giza.One of the means to solve this problem is CCS technology that separates and stores CO12 from fixed emission sources.
Among them, the technology for separating CO2 by a special membrane is attracting attention.However, the existing gas separation technology using a polymer membrane has low processing speed and separation accuracy, and has a problem in terms of cost effectiveness when applied to a large-scale CO2 separation project.

　Therefore, the research group focused on a material called "Metal-Organic Framework (MOF)" and developed a "mixed matrix film" in which these nanoparticles were added to a polymer material called "PIM-1".By adjusting the mixing conditions, we succeeded in greatly improving the separation accuracy while minimizing the loss of gas processing speed.
"MOF" was developed by Professor Susumu Kitagawa, the director of iCeMS, and "PIM-1" was developed by Professor Peter Bud and Professor Neil McKewown of the University of Manchester.The innovative combination of these new materials is likened to "bronze" (an alloy of "copper" and "tin") that transformed the Mesopotamian civilization.

　This development opens up the possibility of significant cost savings in large-scale CCS projects.He advocates the promotion of a collaborative system that transcends the boundaries of each institution, saying that the importance of projects that are carried out by industry-government-academia collaboration will increase further in the future toward the realization of a low-carbon society.

Paper information:[Nature Energy] Enhanced selectivity in mixed matrix membranes for CO2 capture through efficient dispersion of amine-functionalised MOF nanoparticles.