Advances in CO₂ Capture Materials: From Strategies to CO₂-Based Fertilizers for a Sustainable Future

The rising carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations in the atmosphere, primarily attributed to anthropogenic activities, have led to unprecedented environmental challenges like climate change and global warming. This comprehensive review examines the adsorption of CO₂ on various adsorbents, focusing on their potential application as fertilizers. The review begins by providing a general overview of the present state of CO₂ emissions and their environmental impact, emphasizing the urgency of finding practical solutions. The discussion then shifts to the adsorption mechanisms involved in CO₂ capture, exploring physical adsorption, chemical adsorption, and hybrid approaches. The subsequent sections cover CO₂ capture materials inorganic (metal oxides, silica, clays, and zeolites), carbon-based (adsorbents and biochar), porous frameworks (gels and ion-exchange resins), functionalized/polymeric (amine-based materials, amino acids [AAs], and polymers), and hybrid and process-integrated (sorbent-enhanced water–gas shift [SEWGS] and others). The effects of pressure, temperature, and environmental gases on adsorption behavior are also examined. Notably, the review explores the potential of CO₂-loaded adsorbents as fertilizers, investigating their ability to enhance plant growth and soil fertility. The impact of these materials on soil properties, nutrient availability, and microbial activity is discussed to assess their overall effectiveness in agricultural applications. The review also discusses the emerging innovations in CO₂ capture and utilization and real-world applications of CO₂-based fertilizers. Challenges are also addressed, including scalability, economic feasibility, and further research to optimize the performance of CO₂-loaded adsorbents as fertilizers. The review further emphasizes a comprehensive evaluation of the economic feasibility and environmental sustainability of CO₂ capture-to-fertilizer pathways, highlighting production costs, scalability challenges, and life-cycle impacts to guide practical implementation. The findings presented herein contribute to the evolving discourse on climate change mitigation and sustainable agriculture, offering insights for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners alike.