A review of microfluidic approaches for carbon capture and storage research

Abstract

The reliance on fossil fuels for the increasing global energy demand necessitates the advancement of carbon capture and storage technologies to mitigate anthropogenic CO₂ emissions. However, conventional experimental platforms have reached their practical limitations, stagnating further advancements in optimizing carbon capture and storage (CCS) processes. Microfluidic technologies have emerged as promising tools for investigating and optimizing CCS processes at the microscale, offering precise control over gas–liquid interactions, reaction kinetics, and multiphase flow dynamics, which would be very challenging with conventional macroscale platforms. This review uniquely consolidates carbon capture and storage advancements, providing a structured approach that starts from fundamental mechanisms and systematically progresses to advanced microfluidic-assisted CCS strategies. Unlike prior reports, this review demonstrates how microfluidics complements conventional macroscale approaches and outperforms in certain aspects for studying CO₂ capture and storage through specific experimental examples. The carbon capture section explores microfluidic approaches for physical absorption, chemical absorption, and adsorption, highlighting their advantages over conventional methods. The discussion extends to key mass transfer models, microchannel geometries, and flow regimes that dictate CO₂ dissolution rates and interfacial transport phenomena. The carbon storage section examines microfluidic investigations into carbon mineralization and geological sequestration, providing insights into pore-scale trapping mechanisms, mineralization kinetics, and enhanced storage efficiency. The integration of real-time analytical techniques has further facilitated high-resolution quantification of CO₂ transport and reaction dynamics. Despite significant progress, challenges remain in scaling microfluidic findings to field applications, accurately mimicking reservoir conditions, and developing reactive microfluidic platforms for in situ mineralization studies. This review aims to show the pivotal role of microfluidics in accelerating CCS innovation.