Scientists hail 'exciting' material that can store greenhouse gases

Sulphur hexafluoride is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide and can last thousands of years in the atmosphere

Dr Marc Little, who jointly led the research, said: 'This is an exciting discovery because we need new porous materials to help solve society’s biggest challenges.' Picture: John Giles/PA Wire

Scientists have hailed the “exciting” discovery of a type of porous material that can store carbon dioxide.

The research, published in the journal Nature Synthesis, saw a team led by scientists at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh create hollow, cage-like molecules with high storage capacities for greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and sulphur hexafluoride.