Scientists at the University of Ottawa announced the creation of a radical new carbon dioxide-absorbing material which may help us cut down our carbon emissions quicker than we expected.

According to ,The new material is a breakthrough in a class of materials called metal organic frameworks, or MOFs. Basically, a MOF is a repeating latticework of metal atoms—in this case, nickel atoms—that has other simple molecules attached at the metal's joints. To oversimplify it even further: It's a crystal with lots of tiny holes.

The idea behind using these materials to soak up CO2 is that (with the right material makeup and under the right conditions) CO2 molecules could conceivably pack themselves tightly into those crevices, forming weak bonds, which could be broken later to exhale the absorbed gas.

The new material has been specially designed to suck up carbon dioxide gas under the high pressures, the kind you might find in the vents—or flues—of a coal, natural gas, or coal gas power plant.

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