A century of re-exploring CO2 capture solvents

•We identify a hypothetical ideal solvent to demonstrate the limits of solvent development.•The CO2 capture costs of the ideal limiting solvent was estimated to be $26/tCO2.•Further development of aqueous systems unlikely to yield required cost reductions.•To deliver affordable carbon capture, a new technology paradigm is required.•Synergies between solvent and process design may be exploited to decrease costs.