ENGINEERING HIGHLY-SCALABLE AND EFFICIENT SORPTION MATERIALS FOR DIRECT AIR CAPTURE – A VISITING SCHOLARS PROGRAM THIS PROJECT AIMS TO DEVELOP A VISITING SCHOLAR PROGRAM INCLUDING TWO HOST INSTITUTIONS AND FOUR PARTNER MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTIONS (MSIS). THE PROGRAM WILL EDUCATE AND TRAIN 4 TO 6 MINORITY STUDENTS ANNUALLY WITH SKILLS IN ADVANCED SORPTION MATERIALS FOR DIRECT AIR CAPTURE (DAC). SPECIFICALLY, A NOVEL ENZYME- CATALYZED HOLLOW FIBER SORBENT (ECHFS) WITH FAST CO2 ADSORPTION KINETICS WILL BE DEVELOPED BY TWO STEPS: (I) FABRICATION OF HYDROPHILIC POLYVINYLIDENE FLUORIDE (PVDF) GRAFTED L-LYSINE (PVDF-G-LYS) POROUS HOLLOW FIBERS WITH RICH AMINE FUNCTIONAL GROUPS; AND (2) IMMOBILIZATION OF A HIGH-TEMPERATURE RESISTANT CARBONATE ANHYDRASE (CA) MIMIC, ZINC (II)-CYCLEN, TO THE PVDF-G-LYS HOLLOW FIBER THROUGH VACUUM FILTRATION. THE INTEGRATION OF RICH AMINE GROUPS AND IMMOBILIZED CA MIMIC AS A CATALYST ON THE EASY-TO- SCALABLE PVDF HOLLOW FIBERS CAN SYNERGISTICALLY PROMOTE THE DAC PERFORMANCE IN TERMS OF HIGH CO2 ADSORPTION CAPACITY, FAST CO2 ADSORPTION RATE, AND LOW HEAT OF ADSORPTION AT DILUTE CO2 CONDITION.