The extraordinary future of carbon capture technology

Immaterial leaders share vision for affordable industrial decarbonisation and talk energy, economics, science and environment

In episode 48 of The Decarbonisation Dialogue, Immaterial’s Mohammed Khan and Professor David Fairen-Jimenez revealed how breakthrough materials could transform carbon capture and help industry decarbonise at scale.

Founded to commercialise cutting-edge research in metal organic frameworks (MOFs), Immaterial is focused on technologies for carbon capture, hydrogen storage and gas separation. Together, co-founders Mohammed and David combine decades of industrial leadership with world-leading scientific expertise.

For Mohammed, the motivation behind building Immaterial comes from a lifelong desire to create impactful engineering solutions.

He tells us: “I’m an engineer by background, so I wanted to build things. It’s been about taking on enormous challenges and creating something of significance and value to society, industry and customers at large. That is where I draw my inspiration.”

Mohammed added that collaboration is central to the company’s culture and success. He says: “Working alongside very talented individuals and creating the sum of the parts which is greater than the individual parts and seeing people shine is something I draw deep satisfaction from.”

Scientist David is a Royal Society University Research Fellow and reader in molecular engineering at the University of Cambridge. In our interview he explains how his scientific curiosity led him from academia into entrepreneurship.

He says: “The motivation has always been about how we can really create new ideas. Having the opportunity to jump from an academic publication into a real company where we can truly have an impact and improve the quality of life of people, of humanity - that was incredibly important.”

Based at Cambridge Science Park, Immaterial’s core mission is helping industries decarbonise in a financially sustainable way. According to Mohammed, the challenge is not only environmental as we face rising temperatures, but also economic too.

“Our primary focus is in decarbonising industry and helping industry decarbonise economically and cost effectively. In order to address climate problems and deliver solutions, we need economically viable technologies that are affordable, scalable and can be rolled out quickly.”

He talks about the enormous ‘financial puzzle’. “In order to address the climate challenges and deliver solutions we need economical viable solutions that are affordable - and that is where the business at Immaterial is focused.”

The company is currently focused on the UK, Europe and the United States, where pilot projects are being deployed to demonstrate the technology at industrial scale.

In our podcast David explains the science behind the company’s innovation. Immaterial’s technology uses porous materials known as metal organic frameworks (MOF) to selectively capture and separate gases such as carbon dioxide.

“When we burn fossil fuels, we produce CO2 emissions that contribute to climate change. The opportunity is to capture this CO2 before it reaches the atmosphere.”

He described MOFs as “a relatively new family of materials” capable of storing and separating gases with remarkable efficiency. Their growing importance was highlighted recently through recognition connected to the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

“These materials can selectively interact with molecules so we can filter them, capture them or store them,” he says. “The Nobel Prize recognition is helping people understand the significance of the work.”

A major challenge for climate technology companies is scaling laboratory breakthroughs into commercially viable industrial systems. Mohammed believes Immaterial’s advantage lies in combining scientific innovation with practical engineering solutions already familiar to industry.

He says: “Our innovation is unique around the science, but we’re integrating it inside proven systems that industry already understands.”

He remains solutions focused with timelines one of the biggest challenges as they combine innovation with familiarity as well.

David also stresses the importance of sustainable manufacturing methods. “We want green synthesis. We don’t want high temperatures, toxic solvents or energy-intensive processes.”

Looking ahead, both leaders expressed optimism about the role Immaterial can play in the global transition to net zero.

Mohammed says: “We believe we can make a fundamental difference. Success for the company is having an engineering solution ready for commercial rollout. Success for the planet is knowing we helped secure a greener future for future generations.”

David adds: “I’m always optimistic. The sky is the limit. If society works together, technologies like this can make a very significant impact.”