Transforming Carbon Capture Technology: Peak-Absorption Targeted Photothermal Approach for  Energy-Efficient CO₂ Desorption

The two projects address complementary aspects of the same research topic. The ARIS basic research project focuses on the development of the method/technology for CO2 desorption, while the complementary project investigates light–material interactions and optimises illumination conditions for photothermal CO₂ desorption.

MOTIVATION

Carbon capture technology faces significant challenges, particularly the high energy required to release CO₂ from sorbents using traditional heating methods. Our innovative approach employs narrowband light precisely tuned to match the absorption peak of photothermal sorbents, enabling rapid heating above 100 °C within seconds—without causing degradation. This Peak Absorption Targeted Photothermal Desorption method can reduce energy consumption by up to 90% compared to conventional techniques, allowing for faster and more sustainable CO₂ release. This breakthrough aligns with the European Green Deal’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, offering a promising route to cleaner, more cost-effective carbon capture solutions.

ARIS BASIC RESEARCH PROJECT (2025-2027) J2-60031, Peak absorption targeted photothermally triggered CO2 desorption from monolithic sorbents

To reach the project’s ambitious goal, i.e., establishing Peak Absorption Targeted PT desorption and gaining new knowledge investigating PT-process affecting factors, the following scientific objectives have been formulated:

  • To develop cheap, environmentally sustainable, robust and highly porous (≥ 1000 m2/g for carbonaceous-based and ≥ 800 m2/g for inorganic-based) PT-active monolithic sorbent with moderate to high sorbent capacity (> 1.5 mmol CO2/gsorbent at RT).
  • To reveal the optimal structure of the sorbent with maximal content of PT-active materials exposed to light, achieving maximised light-to-heat-conversion efficiency.
  • To investigate the heat propagation through PT-active monolithic sorbents.
  • To thoroughly characterise materials' optical properties to determine their λmax
  • To exploit PT-triggered CO2 desorption by targeting the materials λmax to attain peak photothermal conversion and achieving maximum regeneration efficiency (≥ 95 %) over 100 cycles.

METHODOLOGY

Work Package 1: Fabrication and characterisation of photothermally active monolithic sorbents:

  • Preparation of starting nanopowders: Non-toxic and low-cost sorbents, displaying high CO2 uptake capacity will be employed. These include activated carbon (AC), porous silica (SiL), silicon carbide (SiC) and silicon nitride (SiN) 
  • Preparation and characterization of PT-active monoliths: Low-dimensional PT-active monolithic sorbents, ≤ 2 x 2x 2 cm, will be prepared. Composite monoliths will be prepared from a sorbent-PT nanoparticles mixture using freeze casting (FC), Pickering emulsion templating (PiET), sol-gel (SG) method,  by subsequent incorporation, dip-coating, co-precipitation and sputtering of PT-nanoparticles on the surface of pure sorbent monoliths

Work Package 2: Modelling of the photothermally active monolith sorbent’s structure, heat propagation and desorption kinetics:

  • theoretical modelling based on experimental data gained from WP1 and WP3 will be used to reveal the ideal dispersion of PT nanoparticles in the monolithic sorbent. The study will also include the effect of PT nanoparticle dispersion on heat propagation through the monolith
  • different models such as Langmuir, Brunauer, Emmet, and Teller (BET), and Jura and Harkins will be used to investigate desorption kinetic under PT conditions

Work Package 3: Peak Adsorption Targeted photothermally triggered CO2 desorption:

  • Qualitative and quantitative measurements of released CO2 under photothermal effect
  • Dynamic measurements 
  • Energy consumption of the new proposed method 

ERC COMPLEMENTARY SCHEME (2025-2026) N2-0389, Optimized Photothermal CO2 Desorption using Narrowband Light sources in Monolithic Sorbents

Project focus is to investigate the effect of the arhitecture, light properties on silica-iron oxide and silica-carbon monoliths synthesised using sol-gel and freeze cast method.

To show the proof of concept of spectrally targeted PT CO2 desorption. This will be achieved through following tasks:

  • To prepare cheap, environmentally sustainable, robust and highly porous (≥ 800 m2/g for inorganic-based) PT-active monolithic sorbent with moderate to high sorbent capacity (> 1.5 mmol CO2/gsorbent at RT).
  • To investigate the heat propagation through PT-active monolithic sorbents.
  • To thoroughly characterise materials' optical properties to determine their λmax
  • To measure PT-triggered CO2 desorption of different arhitectures.

METHODOLOGY

Work Package 1: Fabrication and characterisation of photothermally active monolithic sorbents:

  • Preparation of starting nanopowders: Non-toxic and low-cost sorbents, displaying high CO2 uptake capacity will be employed. These include activated carbon (AC), porous silica (SiL) and iron oxide.
  • Preparation and characterization of PT-active monoliths: Low-dimensional PT-active monolithic sorbents, ≤ 2 x 2x 2 cm, will be prepared. Composite monoliths will be prepared from a sorbent-PT nanoparticles mixture using sol-gel (SG) method.
  • PT characterization of material from viewpoint of using different lights, monolith arhitecture, light properties (MAIN FOCUS OF THE PROJECT)

Work Package 2: Peak Adsorption Targeted photothermally triggered CO2 desorption:

  • Dynamic CO2 desorption measurements 
  • Energy consumption of the new proposed method 

Project evolution

ARIS BASIC RESEARCH PROJECT 

 PROJECT ERC COMPLEMENTARY SCHEME   

Scientific contribution 

Scientific articles

Other contributions (invited lectures, conferences, workshops,...)

 

  1. Sebastjan, KOCJAN, Andraž, VALANT, Matjaž, BELEC, Blaž. Exploring polymer and surfactant soft-templating in the synthesis of transparent silica monoliths for  capture. V: PINTAR, Albin (ur.). Slovenski kemijski dnevi 2025 : zbornik povzetkov = book of abstracts : 31st Annual Meeting of the Slovenian Chemical Society : 17.-19. september 2025, Portorož-Portorose, Slovenija. Elektronska izd. Ljubljana: Slovensko kemijsko društvo, 2025. Str. 65, ilustr. ISBN 978-961-95922-5-0. https://skd2025.chem-soc.si/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/1SKD-2025-Book-of-Abstracts-260825-compressed.pdf, Repozitorij Univerze v Novi Gorici - RUNG. [COBISS.SI-ID 250254083], [Odprti dostop]
  2. BELEC, Blaž, ANJALI, KOCJAN, Andraž, KOSTEVŠEK, Nina, VALANT, Matjaž. Hybrid -activated carbon monolithic sorbents for absorption-peak targeted photothermal  regeneration. V: PINTAR, Albin (ur.). Slovenski kemijski dnevi 2025 : zbornik povzetkov = book of abstracts : 31st Annual Meeting of the Slovenian Chemical Society : 17.-19. september 2025, Portorož-Portorose, Slovenija. Elektronska izd. Ljubljana: Slovensko kemijsko društvo, 2025. Str. 56. ISBN 978-961-95922-5-0. https://skd2025.chem-soc.si/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/1SKD-2025-Book-of-Abstracts-260825-compressed.pdf, Repozitorij Univerze v Novi Gorici - RUNG. [COBISS.SI-ID 254947331]
  3. ANJALI, VALANT, Matjaž, BELEC, Blaž.  hybrid monoliths for photothermal  desorption. V: PINTAR, Albin (ur.). Slovenski kemijski dnevi 2025 : zbornik povzetkov = book of abstracts : 31st Annual Meeting of the Slovenian Chemical Society : 17.-19. september 2025, Portorož-Portorose, Slovenija. Elektronska izd. Ljubljana: Slovensko kemijsko društvo, 2025. Str. 91, ilustr. ISBN 978-961-95922-5-0. https://skd2025.chem-soc.si/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/1SKD-2025-Book-of-Abstracts-260825-compressed.pdf, Repozitorij Univerze v Novi Gorici - RUNG. [COBISS.SI-ID 268530435], [Odprti dostop]
    projekt: P2-0412-2019 Heterogeni procesi na površinah trdnin za trajnostne tehnologije; financer: Javna agencija za znanstvenoraziskovalno in inovacijsko dejavnost Republike Slovenije
    projekt: N2-0389-2025 Optimiziranje fototermično izzvane CO2 desorptcije iz monolitnih sorbentov z uporabo ozkopasonvnih svetlobnih virov; financer: Javna agencija za znanstvenoraziskovalno in inovacijsko dejavnost Republike Slovenije
  4. ANJALI, VALANT, Matjaž, BELEC, Blaž. Photothermally triggered  regeneration from monolithic silica-iron oxide sorbents : lecture at the International School of Quantum Electronics, 69th Course, Progress in Photoacoustic & Photothermal Phenomena, Erice, Sicily, November 5th-12nd, 2025. Repozitorij Univerze v Novi Gorici - RUNG. [COBISS.SI-ID 268541443]
    projekt: J2-60031 Fototermična CO2 desorpcija na osnovi ciljanja absorpcijskih vrhov monolitskih sorbentov; financer: ARIS
    projekt: P2-0412 Heterogeni procesi na površinah trdnin za trajnostne tehnologije; financer: ARIS
  5. BELEC, Blaž. Narrowband-light-triggered photothermal CO2 desorption from monolithic sorbents : lecture at Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism, Parma, Italy, 18. 3. 2025. Repozitorij Univerze v Novi Gorici - RUNG. [COBISS.SI-ID 229421571]

So hot at 30th aniversery of University of Nova Gorica 

New laboratory to measure the photothermal properties 

From photothermal characterization to real-time CO₂ desorption

Project results presented publicly for the first time

HELICOSS results presented at Eric workshop devoted to photoacoustic and photothermal phenomena.

HELICOSS UNG TEAM

Dr. Blaž Belec 

Principal investigator 

Dr. Uroš Luin

Postdoctoral researher

Dr. Sebastjan Nemec

Postdoctoral researcher

Anjali

PhD Student

prof. Dr. Matjaž Valant

Experienced researcher

prof. Dr. Andraž Mavrič

Experienced researcher

Partners within ARIS basic project

Jožef Stefan Institute 

Dr. Aljaž Iveković 

Prof. dr. Andraž Kocjan

Dr. Nina Kostevšek

Prof. Dr. Slavko Kralj

Faculty for chemistry and chemical engineering, University of Maribor

Prof. Dr. Sebastijan Kovačič

Špela Podgrajšek