Direct air capture technologies: innovations, integration, and pathways to scale

Direct air capture (DAC) represents a pivotal technology for achieving negative carbon emissions, offering the potential to extract CO₂ directly from ambient air and thereby contribute to global Net Zero targets. Despite its promise, large-scale DAC deployment remains constrained by substantial energy requirements and economic challenges. This review provides a comprehensive and critical assessment of recent advances in DAC technologies, emphasizing their development from tailored chemistry to process engineering. Each capture strategy is systematically examined with particular focus on capture mechanism, energy consumption minimization, capture efficiency enhancement, and environmental impact mitigation. Special attention is given to the synergistic integration of DAC systems with renewable energy sources and industrial waste heat recovery, which offers viable pathways to lower overall energy intensity and improve scalability. Furthermore, this review compares commercialized DAC technologies with those currently under development, providing a holistic discussion of their technical progress, cost trajectories, and deployment challenges. Finally, key insights and future directions are presented to guide scientists, engineers, and policymakers in designing tailored DAC solutions, optimizing system performance, and accelerating the implementation of sustainable and economically viable carbon removal strategies.