Molecular Cages Based Materials for <scp> CO ₂ </scp> Capture, Separation, and Conversion

ABSTRACT Anthropogenic carbon emissions pose a formidable challenge to contemporary society, driving severe global climate perturbations. In response, direct air capture (DAC) technologies have emerged as crucial tools for removing CO 2 from the atmosphere and curbing global warming. Non‐thermal separation methods, particularly adsorption‐ and membrane‐based processes utilizing porous materials, have significant advantages over traditional cryogenic and absorption systems. Porous materials, including zeolites, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), hydrogen‐bonded organic frameworks (HOFs), and molecular cages (MCs), are highly promising for advanced CO 2 capture, separation, and conversion due to their ordered and tunable pore architectures. Among these, MCs have emerged as a particularly promising class. MCs are composed of individually designed macromolecules and feature inherent cavities. They are soluble, readily regenerable, and amenable to precise chemical modifications. Over the past several years, MCs have demonstrated substantial potential for CO 2 capture, separation, and conversion, highlighting their value in addressing the global carbon challenge. This review provides a comprehensive examination of advancements in MCs, focusing particularly on their applications in the capture, separation, and conversion of CO 2 . A forward‐looking perspective on the future trajectories in this research field is provided. Concurrently, the current challenges requiring more in‐depth investigation are discussed. image