Nature Energy, Published online: 01 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41560-026-02113-7

Reactive capture of CO2 integrates capture and conversion, bypassing regeneration and potentially simplifying upstream–downstream process integration, but its deployment readiness is unclear. In this Perspective the authors argue that reactive capture of CO2 could be industrially viable at present levels of selectivity and voltage if stability and scale barriers are addressed.