| Abstract Scope |
Producing structural materials with low energy is the fundamental material science leap needed to reverse the related carbon emissions. A carbon-negative structural material with a high mechanical strength that can be produced on a large scale will provide a strong solution. One strategy is the incorporation of biomaterials; however, these products suffer from low strength without water-resistant layer protection. Herein, we introduce an Enzymatic Structural Material (ESM) that employs a capillary suspension technique combined with an enzyme mixture to integrate precipitated calcium minerals into a sand and carbon matrix. ESM shows high water stability compared to other biologically inspired construction materials with a strength of 26 MPa, which is close to the compressive strength of structural concrete, making it a promising candidate for construction applications. Importantly, ESM production consumes 8.5 kg of CO2 per m3, in contrast to traditional concrete production, which emits approximately 400 kg of CO2 per m3. |