Carbon-negative building material developed at Worcester Polytechnic Institute published in matter

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) researchers have created a new carbon-negative building material that could transform sustainable construction. The breakthrough, published in the high-impact journal Matter, details the development of enzymatic structural material (ESM), a strong, durable, and recyclable construction material produced through a low-energy, bioinspired process.

Led by Nima Rahbar, the Ralph H. White Family Distinguished Professor and head of the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, the research team engineered ESM by using an enzyme that helps convert carbon dioxide into solid mineral particles. These particles were then bound together and cured under mild conditions, enabling the resulting material to be molded into structural forms within hours. Unlike traditional concrete, which requires high temperatures and weeks of curing, ESM is created rapidly and with a dramatically lower environmental impact.

“Concrete is the most widely used construction material on the planet, and its production accounts for nearly 8% of global CO2 emissions,” said Rahbar. “What our team has developed is a practical, scalable alternative that doesn’t just reduce emissions—it actually captures carbon. Producing a single cubic meter of ESM sequesters more than 6 kilograms of CO2, compared to the 330 kilograms emitted by conventional concrete.”

ESM’s rapid curing, tunable strength, and recyclability make it especially promising for real-world applications such as roof decks, wall panels, and modular building components. Its repairability could cut long-term construction costs and drastically reduce the volume of material sent to landfills each year.

“If even a fraction of global construction shifts toward carbon-negative materials like ESM, the impact could be enormous,” added Rahbar.

This innovation has potential value for industries ranging from affordable housing and climate-resilient construction to disaster relief, where lightweight, quickly produced structural materials can accelerate rebuilding efforts. Because ESM is produced with low energy and renewable biological inputs, it also aligns with global goals for carbon-neutral infrastructure and circular manufacturing.

 

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