Next-generation carbon capture: Integrating materials innovation, digital intelligence, and sustainable process intensification

Carbon capture represents a cornerstone technology in global strategies to achieve deep decarbonization and mitigate the impacts of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. While significant progress has been made in traditional and emerging capture methods—including adsorption, absorption, membrane-based, electrochemical, and direct air capture systems—persistent challenges hinder their broad industrial deployment. Current approaches often face trade-offs between energy consumption, cost, scalability, and long-term sustainability. Emerging research in artificial intelligence (AI), materials design, and process intensification offers powerful new tools to overcome these bottlenecks. Nonetheless, integrated frameworks that combine materials innovation, digitalization, and sustainability evaluation remain underdeveloped, preventing the full realization of intelligent, energy-efficient, and climate-compatible carbon capture solutions.This Research Topic aims to advance next-generation carbon capture by bridging fundamental and applied research across materials science, computational modeling, chemical engineering, and sustainability assessment. The objective is to promote the design and optimization of intelligent carbon capture systems that are efficient, cost-effective, and aligned with carbon dioxide removal and net-zero goals. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, the Topic seeks to generate new insights into the mechanisms, performance, and environmental implications of innovative capture technologies. Research questions include: How can AI-driven tools accelerate materials discovery and process optimization? What design principles underpin low-energy, process-intensified carbon capture systems? And how can sustainability metrics—ranging from techno-economic analysis to life cycle assessment—inform the development of climate-resilient industrial deployment strategies?The scope of this Research Topic encompasses studies spanning fundamental science, modeling and simulation, experimental validation, and system integration for advanced carbon capture technologies. It welcomes interdisciplinary contributions that connect nanoscale phenomena with large-scale process engineering and sustainability assessment.To gather further insights into this field, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:- Design and characterization of advanced carbon capture materials and solvents- Low-energy and process-intensified capture system development- AI, machine learning, and digital twins for optimization and intelligent operation- Thermodynamics, kinetics, and mechanism-driven modeling of capture processes- Techno-economic and life cycle assessments for sustainable system design- Industrial applications, pilot-scale demonstrations, and system integration- Hybrid, electrified, and direct air capture technologies- Policy, circular economy, and carbon management frameworks supporting CDR strategiesAccepted article types include Original Research, Reviews, Mini-Reviews, Perspectives, and Policy & Practice Reviews. Topic editors: Eslam Gomaa Al-Sakkari, Mohammed Mohammed, Mohamed Ali Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82851/next-generation-carbon-capture-integrating-materials-innovation-digital-intelligence-and-sustainable-process-intensification