Recent Advances of Biochar-based Engineered Materials for Efficient Removal of CO2: From Lab to Industrial Scale Applications

Abstract

Growing concerns about greenhouse gas emissions have driven significant efforts toward developing advanced materials for the capture and removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) from different environments. Among these, biochar-based engineered materials have emerged as promising sorbents for physical adsorption and separation processes, owing to their tunable structure, surface functionality, and potential for scalable production. This review summarizes recent advances in the preparation and application of biochar-based engineered materials for CO2 capture, highlighting the influence of synthesis methods on their structural properties and adsorption performance. A comparative analysis of different biochar-derived materials is presented, focusing on adsorption capacity, selectivity, and reusability. Notably, woody biomass-derived biochar modified with vanadium oxide demonstrated exceptional performance, achieving a CO2 adsorption capacity of 9.8 mmol/g and maintaining stability over 11 adsorption–desorption cycles with minimal loss of efficiency. The review also discusses the key challenges that currently limit large-scale deployment of biochar-based adsorbents and proposes potential strategies to overcome these barriers, thereby outlining future research directions toward sustainable and efficient CO2 capture technologies.