Quaternized polyepichlorohydrin-based membrane as high-selective CO2 sorbent for cost-effective carbon capture

Abstract

A trimethylammonium-functionalized polyepichlorohydrin membrane (TPp) was synthesized using inexpensive, eco-friendly raw materials and easy synthetic steps and evaluated as CO2 sorbent. The polymeric membrane exhibited satisfactory sorbent performance in terms of stability, rapid adsorption, high selectivity and working capacity. The peak capture capability of 1.34 mmol g-1 was achieved at 25 °C under simulated flue gas condition (humidified 10% CO2, 20% RH). The quaternary ammonium groups enable superior amine efficiency (0.95 mmol CO2/mmol N at 25 °C), well exceeding the highest value reported to date for low-temperature CO2 sorbents under simulated flue gas conditions, and reversible trap-release of CO2. De facto, the TPp sorbent can be completely regenerated under mild conditions (50 °C in pure N2 for 20 min), with only 64.8 kJ mol-1 consumed during sorbent regeneration. The low cost, versatility and ease of preparation make the TPp membrane a promising sorbent for scalable and cost-effective CO2 capture.