A Durable Sorbent to Unlock the Sustainable Future: Room Temperature and Scalable Production of Aluminium Formate through Mechanochemical Method for Efficient and Selective CO Capture.

Carbon dioxide (CO) capture is essential for addressing climate change, requiring the development of efficient, scalable, and sustainable sorbent materials. This study presents microporous aluminum formate (ALF) synthesized via a novel, room-temperature mechanochemical ball milling method. This green, solvent-free approach enables kilogram-scale production using inexpensive raw materials under ambient conditions. The resulting ALF exhibits a high CO adsorption capacity of 3.97 mmol·g at 1 bar and 278 K, with a moderate isosteric heat of adsorption (Q = 42.1 kJ·mol), allowing energy-efficient regeneration. ALF also demonstrates rapid adsorption kinetics (90% uptake within 5 min), excellent recyclability over 100 cycles, and remarkable CO/N selectivity of 341, highlighting its suitability for practical applications. Importantly, the material maintains significant CO uptake (3.26 mmol·g) even under humid conditions. ALF can be shaped into mechanically robust, millimeter-sized pellets, making it ideal for industrial-scale deployment. The comparative evaluation shows that ALF's CO capture performance rivals leading MOFs such as CALF-20, UTSA-16, MOF-74 variants, and SIFSIX-series materials. Overall, ALF emerges as a cost-effective, durable, and high-performing sorbent, offering a promising pathway toward scalable, sustainable carbon capture solutions.