Porous polymer promises to combat climate crisis

A bright yellow powder in a closed glass jar in front of a university clock tower

Source: © Zihui Zhou/UC Berkeley

This cutting-edge research is the perfect context for teaching your 14–16 learners about tackling climate change

An international team of chemists has made a deep yellow porous compound that can absorb carbon dioxide directly from the air in significant quantities. Scientists could potentially use this covalent organic framework (COF) called COF-999 could thousands of times in direct air capture, a tool to combat the climate crisis. Use this story and the accompany summary slide for a real-world context when teaching your 14–16 learners about methods to tackle climate change.

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