An international research team modeled CO2 mineralization on a quartz (SiO2) surface to study the dynamics of geological trapping. In molecular dynamics simulations, CO2 interacted with SiO2 to form CO3 units, which were hydrolyzed into carbonate ions by water. Carbonate ions react with dissolved metals (e.g. Mg2+, Ca2+, Fe2+), locking CO2 emissions into underground minerals posing no environmental threat. The study confirms this process is favorable but requires cleaved SiO2 surfaces.
Source: Science Daily
CO2 mineralization in geologically common rocks for carbon storage
