New material captures CO2 in humid flue gas

October 07, 2026

Scientists at Oregon State University have developed a new carbon capture material designed to remain effective in the humid conditions found in industrial flue gases. The researchers have filed a patent application for the technology, which could help overcome one of the major obstacles facing carbon capture at factories and power facilities.

The material, known as BVR-X, belongs to a class of porous compounds called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Unlike many existing carbon capture materials, BVR-X can manage both carbon dioxide and water vapor without allowing moisture to significantly interfere with CO2 adsorption.

The research, published in Angewandte Chemie, could contribute to the development of more practical and cost-effective systems for capturing carbon emissions directly from industrial sources.

Tackling the moisture problem in carbon capture

Industrial operations are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. In the United States alone, industry accounts for roughly 30% of total greenhouse gas emissions, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Capturing carbon dioxide before it enters the atmosphere is therefore considered an important tool for reducing emissions from sectors where complete decarbonization remains difficult.

However, industrial exhaust presents a significant technical challenge: it often contains large amounts of water vapor.

Many materials capable of capturing CO2 perform well under dry laboratory conditions but become substantially less efficient when exposed to humid flue gases. Water molecules can occupy or block the adsorption sites intended for carbon dioxide.

Industrial facilities can remove moisture from exhaust before carbon capture, but drying flue gases requires additional equipment and energy, increasing operating costs.

BVR-X was designed to address this problem differently.

How BVR-X separates water and carbon dioxide

According to the Oregon State research team, BVR-X organizes water and carbon dioxide molecules into separate areas within its microscopic pores.

This internal separation prevents water molecules from taking over the locations responsible for capturing CO2. Instead of simply resisting moisture, the material changes its behavior in response to water while continuing to adsorb carbon dioxide.

Kyriakos Stylianou, a chemistry professor at Oregon State University and director of the university's Materials Discovery Laboratory, said this internal organization allows the material to function under conditions that more closely resemble actual industrial emissions.

The approach could eliminate or reduce the need to dry exhaust gases before CO2 separation, potentially lowering the cost and energy requirements of industrial carbon capture.

What are metal-organic frameworks?

Metal-organic frameworks are crystalline materials constructed from metal ions connected by organic molecules called linkers or ligands.

Together, these components form highly ordered structures containing extremely small pores. These nanoscale spaces can trap selected gas molecules through a process known as adsorption, giving MOFs sponge-like characteristics at the molecular level.

One of the major advantages of MOFs is their flexibility. Researchers can modify their chemical components and pore structures to create materials with specific properties.

Millions of possible MOF structures could theoretically exist. More than 100,000 have already been synthesized, while researchers have computationally predicted the characteristics of hundreds of thousands more.

Their high porosity and customizable structures have made MOFs promising candidates for applications ranging from gas storage to carbon dioxide removal.

Capturing CO2 before it reaches the atmosphere

Carbon dioxide released through fossil fuel combustion is a major contributor to global warming. While direct air capture technologies can remove CO2 that is already dispersed throughout the atmosphere, their current capacity remains relatively small compared with global emissions.

Capturing carbon directly from concentrated industrial exhaust can be more efficient.

MOF-based systems could potentially be installed in industrial facilities to adsorb carbon dioxide as exhaust gases move through smokestacks. Once captured, the CO2 could then be separated for storage or other uses.

Humidity, however, has remained a persistent barrier to making these materials commercially practical.

The Oregon State researchers say BVR-X could provide a way around that limitation.

BVR-X performs under highly humid conditions

During testing, BVR-X successfully captured carbon dioxide from a highly humid gas stream containing only about 4% CO2.

These conditions are particularly relevant to exhaust produced by natural gas combustion, where carbon dioxide concentrations can be relatively low while water vapor levels remain high.

Separating small quantities of CO2 from a moisture-rich gas stream is especially difficult for conventional adsorption materials.

The new MOF maintained its carbon capture ability despite those challenging conditions.

Researchers also found that BVR-X could be regenerated and reused. The material retained its performance through dozens of carbon capture and release cycles and continued functioning after exposure to demanding operating conditions.

Durability and recyclability are critical for industrial carbon capture because materials must repeatedly capture and release CO2 without requiring frequent replacement.

Potential for more practical industrial carbon capture

The researchers believe the combination of humidity tolerance, reusability and CO2 selectivity makes BVR-X a promising candidate for future industrial applications.

If the technology can be successfully scaled, it could help simplify carbon capture systems by reducing the need for energy-intensive flue gas drying.

That could be particularly valuable for industries seeking to reduce emissions from existing facilities while working toward net-zero targets.

Further development and testing will be needed to determine how the material performs at commercial scale and whether it can provide an economically competitive alternative to existing carbon capture technologies.

The research involved scientists from Oregon State University's College of Science and College of Engineering, as well as researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Oregon and the ARAMCO Research and Development Center.

Funding for the project was provided by Saudi Aramco, the Murdock Charitable Trust and a donor-advised fund established by Oregon State alumni Brian and Marilyn Kleiner through the OSU Foundation.