Direct air capture (DAC) is a carbon removal technology that selectively extracts CO₂ from ambient air, where it exists at trace concentrations of approximately 400 ppm (0.04%), using chemical or physical separation processes. As the only CO₂ capture approach capable of delivering negative net emissions, DAC has emerged as a critical CO₂ removal (CDR) strategy for achieving global net-zero targets. However, its operation requires substantial electrical energy to drive large air flows and significant thermal energy for sorbent regeneration, which remains a major barrier to large-scale deployment. Coupling DAC with nuclear power has been proposed as a promising approach because nuclear systems can provide stable, carbon-free electricity and heat. This review summarizes recent studies on the integration of DAC with nuclear power plants and analyzes the current technological maturity of nuclear–DAC systems. In particular, the paper compares different DAC configurations, evaluates their energy requirements and integration strategies with nuclear heat and power sources, and identifies key technical and economic challenges for future deployment.

Direct air capture (DAC) is a key negative-emission technology, although processing large volumes of ambient air and regenerating adsorbents remain energy- and cost-intensive. An open-air Brayton cycle (OABC)-coupled DAC system integrates air handling, regeneration heat supply, and electricity generation, making adsorbent compatibility with its operating conditions essential. Herein, a system-driven framework combining process-based screening, experimental comparison, and experiment-informed system assessment was developed. Amine- and carbonate-based supported adsorbents were selected based on OABC-derived regeneration conditions, system efficiency, adsorption performance, and cost. The selected adsorbents were systematically compared for CO2 uptake under dry and humid conditions, gravimetric and volumetric capacities, thermal stability and cyclic performance. PEI@FS exhibited higher gravimetric uptake, whereas K2CO3@γ-Al2O3 provided higher humid volumetric capacity and greater thermal stability at the OABC-derived regeneration temperature of 250 oC. At the reference electricity selling price of $65 MWh-1, incorporating the measured properties of K2CO3@γ-Al2O3 into the OABC-DAC model yielded an optimal bed volume of 10,300 m3 and an estimated minimum LCOD of $190.04 tCO2-1. This LCOD was below both the $200 tCO2-1 long-term target and the previous OABC-DAC estimate of $307 tCO2-1. Beyond CO2 uptake, adsorbent price and stability were key practical considerations for material selection in the OABC-DAC system.