Synthesis of nanoporous carbon from Ulva lactuca activated by eggshell for CO₂ capture: a novel approach to waste valorization

Facing the daunting challenge of climate change, driven by escalating greenhouse gas concentrations, our research introduces an innovative solution for CO₂ capture. We explore a novel nanoporous carbon derived from Ulva lactuca, activated with eggshell waste, spotlighting waste valorization in mitigating atmospheric CO₂. Through a systematic methodology encompassing variable carbonization temperatures (700–900 °C) and nitrogen flow rates (2–4 ml/min), complemented by a suite of characterization techniques, we unveil the synthesis of this pioneering adsorbent. Our study not only presents a novel, sustainable pathway for CO₂ capture but also demonstrates superior performance, particularly with the NC800-4 sample, achieving a CO₂ capture capacity of 1.40 mmol/g at 30 °C, alongside demonstrating consistent adsorption efficiency over four successive adsorption/desorption cycles. This breakthrough underscores the potential of leveraging waste for environmental remediation, offering a dual solution to waste management and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) applications.