The University of Belgrade’s Institute for Multidisciplinary Research invented an urban photo-bioreactor. Liquid 3 cleans the air and serves as a bench in the Belgrade city centre.
It's a tank filled with microalgae, a solar panel on the top generates electricity for USB charging ports for citizens and a pump that pumps air into the tank where the algae process the CO² and produce Oxygen.
https://balkangreenenergynews.com/liquid-tree-to-combat-air-pollution-in-belgrade/
Is it better than a tree?
Can't charge a phone using a tree.
...well, unless we stick a solar panel + charging port on it, like with this thing.
Even as a joke, that seems cheaper and you need far less resources. My question was more about if it's "clears" air better than just a tree.