温室气体指的是大气中能吸收地面反射的太阳辐射,并重新发射辐射的一些气体,如水蒸气、二氧化碳、大部分制冷剂等。它们的作用是使地球表面变得更暖,类似于温室截留太阳辐射,并加热温室内空气的作用。这种温室气体使地球变得更温暖的影响称为“温室效应”。

In this modest laboratory at the University of Sydney, researchers believe they're working on a solution for the world's greenhouse gas problem.

Dr. Deanna D'Alessandro says it's time for people to pay attention.

"Absolutely, carbon dioxide capture and greenhouse gas capture is a hot topic at the moment, and I think the time is right for scientists to be a part of the solution to that problem."

D'Alessandro and a team of researchers have developed a substance that acts like a molecular sponge. It contains crystals full of microscopic holes that can soak up liquids and gases. The molecular structure gives the substance a large internal surface area and high capacity for absorption.

"The idea is that we're creating solid material. They are porous structures, and that means that they can basically hold a huge amount of gas or liquid, and in our particular case we're trying to store greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. So the idea is that we might use these in power stations where we need to improve upon current processes for carbon dioxide capture, and this is a really important alternative to that."

D'Alessandro says power stations are looking for new solutions to capture carbon dioxide.

"Power stations are actually really interested in this new technology, because currently, the processes use roughly 25 to 40 per cent of the energy generated just to capture the carbon dioxide, so finding more efficient materials and better materials to actually capture CO2 is critical."

Professor Cameron Kepert, also from the University of Sydney, says he's hopeful that the technology can be applied toward vehicles over the next few years.

"Well we have materials now that are about three or four times better than anything that existed about four years ago, so there's been really incredibly exciting developments just in the last few years. The materials aren't yet ready to go into vehicles, but the rate of development I guess we're at a stage where there's a very exciting possibility that in mid to short term, mid to long term, we might be able to get to some application."

If all goes according to plan, the inventors of this highly absorbent material hope it will be commercially available within a decade.

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