Washington, July 23 - An Indian-American physicist has devised a cleaner and more efficient way of capturing carbon dioxide from its polluting source, like coal-fired power plants.

Lawrence Livermore National Lab (LLNL) researcher Amitesh Maiti has come up with a screening method that would use ionic liquids -- molten salt that becomes liquid under the boiling point of water (100 degrees Celsius) -- to separate carbon dioxide from its source.

Using ionic liquids as a separation solvent has unique advantages over traditional solvents, said Maiti, who did his BSc in physics (honours) from the University of Calcutta in 1986 and his Ph.D, in condensed matter physics, at University of California, Berkeley, 1992.

There are major efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuel, as carbon dioxide is the principal greenhouse gas that is leading to global warming. But before it can be sequestered, the carbon dioxide must first be separated from its source, a step known as 'capture'. This new technique could significantly enhance the efficiency of the carbon dioxide capture process.