This post was originally published on here
A new study led by Nigerian computational chemist Dr. Amarachi Sylvanus is offering a promising pathway for technologies that can help Nigeria and the global community manage rising carbon dioxide levels. The research conducted at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (UTK), in collaboration with Associate Professor Konstantinos Vogiatzis, who leads a computational chemistry group at UTK, postdoctoral researcher Grier Jones, and scientist Radu Custelcean at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, investigates the potential of biomolecules known as dipeptides to facilitate next-generation carbon capture materials. The findings have been published in the journal ChemPhysChem.
Nigeria is already experiencing the real effects of climate change. Communities in Lagos and Bayelsa face ongoing coastal flooding. Farmers in the North struggle with advancing desertification. Heat waves are becoming more intense across the country. These challenges demand not only policy action but also scientific innovation that is safe, affordable, and scalable.
Carbon capture and storage is one method used to prevent carbon dioxide (CO2) from entering the atmosphere. Many industrial systems rely on liquid amine solvents, but these are costly, corrosive, and can produce harmful byproducts. Researchers are now exploring greener alternatives that can work at both industrial sites and distributed locations, including households and small businesses.
Dr. Sylvanus and her colleagues investigated dipeptides, which are small molecules formed from two amino acids. In nature, amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, and some proteins interact with CO2, which inspired the team to explore their potential for carbon capture. Amino acids are naturally occurring, non-toxic, stable, and widely available. They contain chemical groups that already interact with CO2, making them attractive candidates for sustainable capture systems.
The team generated 960 possible dipeptides from the 20 natural amino acids and used advanced computational methods to study how each one interacts with CO2. Using density functional theory and symmetry adapted perturbation theory, they identified which molecular groups are most effective at attracting and stabilizing CO2.
Their findings show that dipeptides bind CO2 more strongly and more diversely than individual amino acids. This improvement comes from cooperative effects, where two amino acids work together to create stronger binding pockets. Certain amino acids enhance CO2 capture in dipeptides, while others weaken it based on their structure-activity relationship. These insights guide designing high-performance, eco-friendly materials. The study emphasizes computational chemistry and data-driven design to expedite new technology development without costly labs.
For Nigeria, the implications are significant. Bioinspired materials based on dipeptides could help support a range of climate strategies, from reducing emissions in power and industrial sectors to expanding small scale carbon capture solutions in urban and rural communities. Because amino acids and peptides can be produced sustainably from sources such as microalgae and agricultural byproducts, and because they meet low toxicity requirements, these materials could be manufactured locally without reliance on expensive imported chemicals.
This work positions a Nigerian researcher at the forefront of global carbon capture innovation. It also demonstrates how expertise developed by Nigerians abroad can contribute to solutions that matter to both the country and the wider world.
