On Monday, 16 February 2026, the official kick-off meeting of the PolyCapture research group took place at HIPOLE Jena. The participating group leaders and researchers, as well as representatives of our industrial advisory board, the Thuringian Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, the Thüringer Aufbaubank (TAB), and the Landesentwicklungsgesellschaft (LEG) Thüringen came together to celebrate the launch of the project and hear about the project’s vision and work plan.
In PolyCapture, we are addressing one of the key challenges of our time: the continuously rising concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere. Our goal is to capture this greenhouse gas utilizing an innovative electrochemical method. To achieve this, we will hybridize tailor-made redox-active polymers with specialized carbons. These materials will be used in electrochemical cells —similar to organic batteries— combined with special membranes.
The captured CO₂ is then further processed photo- and electrochemically to generate sustainable high-value products. In addition, theoretical modeling and molecular dynamics simulations support the material design process and provide deeper insights into the underlying mechanisms.
We would like to sincerely thank the Free State of Thuringia and the European Union for funding this project and are looking forward to exploring new pathways for CO₂ capture and utilization together in the upcoming years!