Advancing low-carbon methane production via integrated carbon capture and in situ methanation (ICCM) by dual function materials (DFMs): Progress and prospects

Abstract

Integrated carbon capture and methanation (ICCM) couples CO2 capture with in‑situ conversion by employing dual‑function materials (DFMs) that integrate a CO2 sorbent and a methanation catalyst in a single bed. This compact carbon-capture-and-utilisation concept offers smaller, more heat-efficient, and potentially more cost-effective CO2 capture and conversion process compared to conventional approach. This review consolidates recent progress in ICCM with a critical emphasis on DFM design and synthesis (e.g., impregnation, co‑precipitation, sol‑gel, mechanochemical processing), structure–function relationships, and pros/cons of each DFM synthesis technique. We benchmark how composition, sorbent–catalyst proximity, and process conditions (namely temperature, pressure, gas hourly space velocity and gas impurities) influence CO2 uptake, conversion, CH4 selectivity, and long‑term durability under realistic conditions. Techno‑economic and life‑cycle perspectives are summarised to contextualise the roles of H2 cost, reactor integration, and DFM lifetime. Finally, we outline key scale‑up challenges and research priorities, and propose three facets for technology commercialization outlook, including (i) DFM engineering, (ii) reactor design/configuration and (iii) technology integration.