Stanford chemists find a practical, low-cost way to permanently remove carbon dioxide from the air—the main driver of climate change.

Chemists at Stanford University have developed a low-cost way to remove carbon dioxide (CO) from the atmosphere using an unlikely source: rocks. The process involves heating common minerals, so they transform into materials that spontaneously pull carbon from the atmosphere and permanently contain it.

Stanford scientists have discovered how to turn common minerals into materials that spontaneously remove and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In the lab, the materials pull CO2 from the air thousands of times faster than occurs with natural rock weathering.

Reducing carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere is critical to slowing global warming. While direct air capture (DAC) technology has gained attention, it remains expensive and energy-intensive, requiring up to 2.