propose a battery technology that would sequester co2 and or methane during charging or discharge.

Here's a concept for a battery technology that captures CO2 or methane during charging and discharge:

Concept: Lithium-Amine-Carbonate Battery

This battery utilizes an electrolyte solution that can capture CO2 or methane from the surrounding air. Here's how it might work:

  • Electrodes:

    • Anode: Lithium metal (traditional)
    • Cathode: A porous carbon matrix embedded with a catalyst (like a metal-organic framework)
  • Electrolyte: A solution of lithium salts dissolved in a special amine solvent. This amine solvent can reversibly bind to CO2 or methane molecules.

During Charging:

  • Lithium ions (Li+) shuttle from the anode to the cathode as the battery charges.
  • At the cathode, the amine solvent in the electrolyte captures CO2 or methane from the air through a chemical reaction. The captured gas gets bound to the amine molecule.

During Discharging:

  • Lithium ions flow back from the cathode to the anode, discharging the battery.
  • The amine molecules release the captured CO2 or methane back into the environment (ideally, this would be captured for separate storage or utilization).

Advantages:

  • Carbon Capture: This battery design could act as a miniaturized carbon capture device, removing CO2 or methane from the air during charging.
  • Renewable Energy Integration: The CO2 or methane captured could potentially be utilized as a fuel source for power plants with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, creating a closed-loop system.

Challenges:

  • Efficiency: Capturing CO2 or methane from the air requires additional energy. The design needs to be optimized to minimize the energy impact on charging.
  • Capacity: The amount of CO2 or methane captured might be limited by the amount of amine solvent in the electrolyte. Finding ways to increase the capture capacity is crucial.
  • Cathode Stability: The chosen catalyst needs to be stable and function efficiently during charge/discharge cycles.

Overall, this Lithium-Amine-Carbonate battery concept offers an intriguing possibility for combining energy storage with carbon capture technology. While there are significant hurdles to overcome, further research and development could lead to a breakthrough in battery technology that tackles climate change.


A methane fuel cell is an electromechanical device that converts the chemical energy from methane in natural gas into electricity through a chemical reaction. The process uses a platinum catalyst to break down methane into electricity at low temperatures