Arun Arunima Balachandran Kirali, Ganapaty Manickavasagam, Wen-Da Oh, Chao He
Abstract Rising atmospheric CO 2 levels intensify global climate challenges, making mitigation strategies indispensable, while lignin-derived porous functionalized carbon enables efficient CO 2 capture under dilute conditions and supports downstream utilization. This perspective highlights recent advances in lignin-derived carbon adsorbents and their roles in CO 2 capture and conversion. Scalability, techno-economic and life-cycle assessments, and the emerging role of artificial intelligence are emphasized in guiding the design of a sustainable, closed-loop, biomass-driven CO 2 economy.