Researchers at the National University of Singapore published a study in Nature Communications describing an amino‑acid‑modified frozen medium that traps methane rapidly, reaching about 90% capacity in just over two minutes. The material is biodegradable, avoids synthetic surfactants, and can be reheated to release gas and refrozen for reuse. The technology is at the proof‑of‑concept stage; further engineering, lifecycle analysis, and scale‑up work are required to assess practical and commercial viability.
NUS Develops Biodegradable “Ice” That Captures Methane in Minutes — A Faster, Greener Gas‑Storage Idea
Researchers at the National University of Singapore published a study in Nature Communications describing an amino‑acid‑modified frozen medium that traps methane rapidly, reaching about 90% capacity in just over two minutes. The material is biodegradable, avoids synthetic surfactants, and can be reheated to release gas and refrozen for reuse. The technology is at the proof‑of‑concept stage; further engineering, lifecycle analysis, and scale‑up work are required to assess practical and commercial viability.
02:21 AM, 11/14/2025Technology
Biodegradable amino‑acid “ice” could offer a faster, lower‑impact way to store methane
Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) reported in Nature Communications a promising proof‑of‑concept material that rapidly traps methane when certain natural amino acids are dissolved in water and the solution is frozen. The modified frozen medium captures methane quickly, is biodegradable, and can be reheated to release the gas and refrozen for reuse.
Conventional approaches for storing and transporting natural gas and biomethane rely on high pressure or cryogenic temperatures (around -162°C / -259.6°F), both of which require substantial energy and infrastructure. Newer solidification methods exist but are often too slow for practical, large‑scale use.
The NUS team found that adding naturally occurring amino acids to water before freezing creates a modified ice that traps methane extremely rapidly — reaching about 90% of its storage capacity in just over two minutes. Because the amino acids are biodegradable, this approach avoids the pollution risk associated with many synthetic surfactants. The frozen material can be reheated to release the methane and then refrozen, enabling a closed‑loop storage cycle.
“What we are showing is a simple, biodegradable pathway that can both work quickly and be reused,” said Professor Praveen Linga, the study’s lead researcher. “It makes gas storage safer, greener, and more adaptable.”
If scaled and engineered successfully, this method could reduce the energy and cost burdens of moving natural gas and biomethane, lowering logistical emissions and supporting cleaner fuel distribution. Biomethane — produced from organic waste and other renewable sources — is expected to play a role in the energy transition, and cheaper, lower‑impact transport and storage would help expand its use.
Important caveats and next steps
The work remains at the proof‑of‑concept stage. Key engineering challenges include evaluating lifecycle energy use, optimizing material formulation for real‑world gas streams, assessing durability and contamination risks, and determining commercial viability and costs at scale. Independent lifecycle and safety analyses will be needed before this approach can be adopted commercially.
Still, the results are encouraging: a fast, reusable, biodegradable storage medium for methane could become an important tool in efforts to reduce emissions from fuel logistics and to scale up greener gaseous fuels.