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Abstract
As global efforts to mitigate climate change intensify, developing carbon capture technologies that are both energy-efficient and scalable is paramount. This dissertation presents the design, development, and evaluation of two novel photothermal carbon capture systems aimed at using solar energy to regenerate CO2-rich solvent solutions: the Passive Photothermal Capture (PPC) device and the High-Contact Photothermal (HCP) device. The PPC system combines a light- transmissive window, a hydrophobic gas-permeable membrane, and a carbon-black amine nanosolution to enable CO2 regeneration with minimal external energy input. Lamp and sunlight- based experiments demonstrate regeneration efficiencies up to 4.4 mol CO2/MJ, with techno- economic analysis highlighting key cost drivers such as solvent volume and CO2 compression. The HCP system builds on these principles using hollow fiber membrane contactors (HFMCs) to maximize gas-liquid contact surface area and employs nanoparticle-assisted photothermal heating for solvent regeneration. While preliminary testing of HCP components showed successful regeneration under thermal heating, integrated photothermal operation was hindered by nanoparticle aggregation, prompting further investigation into stabilization strategies. Together, these proof-of-concept systems demonstrate the potential of solar-driven photothermal regeneration for both point-source and direct air carbon capture applications, offering pathways toward more sustainable and decentralized CO2 removal technologies.