From CO2 capture to synthetic methane: the emerging role of dual functional materials

The urgency of mitigating anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions while expanding and utilisation (ICCU) technologies. Dual functional materials (DFMs), combining CO 2 adsorption and catalytic conversion functionalities within a single material, have emerged as a promising process-intensification strategy. By enabling direct capture of CO 2 streams and subsequent hydrogenation to synthetic methane (CH 4 ) in the same reactor, DFMs offer a pathway to reduce energy penalties associated with conventional capture–transport–conversion schemes while facilitating the storage of renewable energy. This perspective examines the evolution of DFM design for integrated CO 2 capture and methanation, highlighting key advances in sorbent–catalyst architectures, mechanistic understanding, and reactor operation strategies. Particular attention is given to the complex interplay between CO 2 adsorption, surface intermediate formation, hydrogen activation, and methane production, which governs overall performance. Despite significant progress, several challenges remain, including maintaining long-term stability under realistic flue gas conditions, improving methane productivity at low CO 2 concentrations, managing heat and mass transfer limitations, and establishing scalable synthesis routes. Advances in multifunctional material design, data-driven design and optimization, and integration with renewable hydrogen sources are expected to accelerate the deployment of DFM-based methanation systems. In particular, data-driven approaches can potentially provide new opportunities to identify optimal combinations of adsorption and catalytic functionalities while significantly reducing experimental trial-and-error efforts. By outlining current opportunities and future research directions, this perspective aims to provide a framework for developing next-generation DFMs capable of bridging carbon capture and sustainable fuel production in a circular carbon economy.