On carbon dioxide storage based on biomineralization strategies

This study focuses on the separation and storage of the global warming greenhouse gas CO2, and the use of natural biocatalysts in the development of technologies to improve CO2 storage rates and provide new methods for CO2 capture. Carbonic anhydrase (CA) has recently been used as a biocatalyst to sequester CO2 through the conversion of CO2 to HCO- in the mineralization of CaCO3. Biomimetic CaCO3 mineralization for carbon capture and storage offers potential as a stable CO2 capture technology. In this report, we review recent developments in this field and assess disadvantages and improvements in the use of CA in industrial applications. We discuss the contribution that understanding of mechanisms of CO2 conversion to CO3- in the formation and regeneration of bivalve shells will make to developments in biomimetic CO2 storage. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.