EPFL Carbon Team aims to capture CO2 with sieves and sponges

The team of students is working on a unique prototype that uses graphene membranes combined with a porous, sponge-like material. ©Alain Herzog/EPFL - The team of students is working on a unique prototype that uses graphene membranes combined with a porous, sponge-like material to pull carbon from the atmosphere. The technology will soon be tested on an EPFL campus, with the captured CO₂ used to produce carbonated water. In 2021, Elon Musk launched the XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition, which offers a $100 million prize to the most promising carbon removal technology, including a $50 million prize for the most effective and lowest-cost innovation. "The competition really spurred us on," says Karl Khalil, the founder and leader of the EPFL Carbon Team. "We took part in the February 2022 call for proposals just as we were getting the project off the ground. Our technology finished in the top 60, although we didn't make it into the final 15.