CO2 Diffusion Research Articles

Improved durability of protonic ceramic fuel cells with BaZr0.8Yb0.2O3–δ electrolyte by introducing porous BaZr0.1Ce0.7Y0.1Yb0.1O3–δ buffer interlayer

Long-term durability of anode-supported protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) with BaZr0.8Yb0.2O3–δ (BZYb20) electrolyte is evaluated at 600 °C over 1000 h operation. To prevent a decrease in cell performance caused by Co diffusion from a La0.6Ba0.4CoO3−δ (LBC)-based cathode into the BZYb20 electrolyte, a porous buffer interlayer of BaZr0.1Ce0.7Y0.1Yb0.1O3–δ (BZCYYb) is placed at the interface between the cathode and electrolyte. By introducing the BZCYYb buffer interlayer, although the power density of the PCFC deteriorates slightly due to adding the ohmic resistance of the interlayer, the long-term durability for 1000 h operation remarkably improves, e.g., degradation rate decreases from 4.8 % kh−1 to 0.9 % kh−1. Moreover, the PCFC with the BZCYYb buffer interlayer achieves a stable operation with a degradation rate of 0.8 % kh−1 for 3000 h. Electron probe microanalysis confirms that the BZCYYb buffer interlayer prevents diffusion of Co from the LBC-based cathode into the BZYb20 electrolyte even after 3000 h operation.

Facile synthesis of single‐nickel‐atomic dispersed mesoporous carbon nanosheets with controllable nitrogen doping for efficient electrochemical CO2 reduction

AbstractThe catalytic conversion of CO2 into high value‐added chemical products driven by electricity was an effective strategy to reduce atmospheric CO2 concentration. The development of high efficiency catalysts had always been the core for electrocatalytic reduction of CO2. The single transition metal sites anchored on nitrogen‐doped carbon showed great potential in CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). In this paper, the atomically dispersed Ni−N sites are constructed on the two‐dimensional mesoporous carbon nanosheets by the secondary pyrolysis method. The rich mesoporous structure of the two‐dimensional nanosheets is beneficial to CO2 diffusion and adsorption during CO2RR, and the high nitrogen contents could increase the Ni single atom loadings. The nitrogen content and type could be controlled by regulating the ratio of nitrogen source to carbon source, and the catalyst activity is improved as the proportion of nitrogen sources increases. When the ratio of nitrogen source to carbon source is four, the oxidation state of Ni single atoms Ni@NMCN4 is between 0 and +2, and Ni single atoms exists as Ni−N4 structure with pyridinic N of 32.78 %, which exhibits the best electrochemical CO2RR activity. The active site of Ni@NMCN4 is confirmed as the highly stable Ni single atoms. Moreover, the pyridinic N species are proved to play an important role in enhancing the CO2 electroreduction performance. This work provides a new perspective to adjust the nitrogen content and type in transition metal monatomic‐N‐doped carbon electrocatalysts for CO2RR.

Molecular dynamics and experimental study of the effect of pressure on CO2 foam stability and its effect on the sequestration capacity of CO2 in saline aquifer

CO2 foam flooding technology is one of the important methods to improve the efficiency of CO2 sequestration in saline aquifers. This article explores the influence rules of pressure on CO2 foam stability and its micro-mechanisms, and its effect on the efficiency of CO2 foam to enhance CO2 sequestration. Increasing pressure is conducive to delaying the foam drainage and inhibiting CO2 diffusion between the liquid films, micro-mechanisms showed that the binding effect of surfactants on water and CO2 molecules was enhanced due to increased pressure. Then core-nuclear magnetic resonance was used to study the effect of pressure on CO2 sequestration characteristics from core scale, the bubble population accumulation in the macropores increased with the enhanced pressure, promoting the diversion effect of foam to the meso- and micropores. In addition to enhancing the CO2 sequestration potential of the macropores, the utilization of storage space of meso- and micropores was improved.

Transformation from Knudsen diffusion to facilitated diffusion for CO2 in confined mass transfer channels of polyimide mixed matrix membranes

Incorporation of porous materials in a polymeric membrane is an effective strategy for improving the gas permeability of the resulting mixed matrix membranes (MMMs). However, effective improvement of selectivity of membrane toward CO2 separation is still a significant challenge due to the insufficient CO2 capture performance of porous materials. In this study, polyimide (PI)-based MMMs with enhanced CO2 capture performance were prepared for CO2 separation. First, an ionic liquid (IL) with a high affinity for CO2 was immobilized in the inner pore structures of two types of mesoporous silica (SiO2) molecules to form IL@SiO2 composites. These composites were used as nanofillers to construct the MMMs. The stable immobilization of IL inside the pores of the mesoporous SiO2 indicated that the IL@SiO2 and MMMs both exhibited higher adsorption selectivity for CO2. The gas solubility coefficient of the MMMs was positively proportional to their maximum gas adsorption capacity, which was determined by the gas adsorption capacity of the PI polymer and nanofillers. More interestingly, the diffusion coefficients of different gases in the MMMs were closely related to the confined mass transfer channels introduced by the nanofillers. The diffusion of CO2 in the confined mass transfer channels of MMMs was facilitated and N2 diffusion was slightly inhibited, which increased the diffusion selectivity of the resulting MMMs for CO2. Combined with Maxwell–Wagner–Sillar model calculations for gas permeation, it was confirmed that IL immobilization transformed the diffusion mode of CO2 in the confined mass transfer channels of the MMMs from Knudsen diffusion to facilitated diffusion. However, the immobilization of excessive ILs in the mesopores blocked the mass transfer channels of the MMMs, resulting in lower gas permeability and decreased CO2 separation selectivity.

Molecular dynamics study on BS12/SDS stabilized CO2 foam: Evaluation of surfactant monolayer structure and interfacial properties

CO2 foam flooding holds great potential for enhanced oil recovery and geological storage. However, ensuring the stability of supercritical CO2 foam systems under high temperature and pressure reservoir conditions remains a challenge. Note that the term "supercritical CO2 foam" specifically denotes a foam system created by combining an aqueous solution containing chemical additives with CO2 in a supercritical state under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions. Surfactants can reduce the surface Gibbs free energy by adsorbing onto the CO2-water interface to form a monolayer structure, which hinders CO2 diffusion and improves foam stability. In this study, molecular dynamics simulations were employed to analyze the adsorption behavior and interfacial performance of betaine surfactant BS12 and the anionic surfactant SDS at the CO2-water interface. The results indicate that BS12 can reduce interfacial tension more effectively at near-saturated concentrations. Moreover, the monolayer formed by BS12 has a lower voidage and wider interfacial thickness. The carboxyl-nitrogen interaction among BS12 molecules impedes their further aggregation, thereby maintaining the mutually perpendicular "L" orientation of the headgroup and hydrophobic tail thus forming a rigid and stable monolayer structure. Additionally, the spatial distribution function, radial distribution function, and hydrogen bond statistics indicate that although BS12 exhibits slightly weaker hydrophobicity than SDS, its hydrophobicity is less affected by concentration. Specifically, the first hydration shell of the carboxyl group remains stable even at high concentrations. Besides, the steered simulations show that the rate-limiting step in the CO2 permeation process is the dense region of the surfactant headgroups. Besides, the permeation of CO2 molecules in the BS12 monolayer is characterized by a lower diffusion coefficient and higher energy barrier to overcome. In summary, BS12 forms a thicker and more uniform monolayer structure, effectively hindering the contact between CO2 and water molecules at the interface and further enhancing foam stability. Our findings further reveal the relationship between surfactant molecular architecture and interfacial properties, providing references for the screening and structural design of surfactants used in CO2 foam flooding.

CO2 mineralization into waste-valorized lightweight artificial aggregate

The construction industry faces a notable scarcity in the supply of aggregates. This study investigated the upcycling of red mud (also known as bauxite residue), a hazardous waste from alumina production, into porous and lightweight (lighter than water) red mud artificial aggregates (RMAA) for CO2 sequestration. Calcite is identified as the main carbonation product, with two hydration modes at low and high water to solid (w/s) ratios. A low w/s ratio inhibited formation of calcium carbonate, implying water is indispensable in CO2 sequestration. A high w/s ratio increased carbonate crystallinity and boosted the amount of carbonation products and calcium conversion. The highest CO2 sequestration ability (16.4 %) and calcium conversion degree (59.3 %) for red mud powder, as well as the highest strength (∼8 MPa) of carbonated RMAA, occur to the highest investigated w/s ratio. The CO2 sequestration effectively stabilized the heavy metals in RMAA. The CO2 sequestration mechanism and strength gain of RMAA are explored considering the key factors of CO2 diffusion rate and the quantity and crystallinity of carbonation products. This study advances carbon capture, utilization, and storage by transforming solid waste to energy to combat climate change.

A novel constant pressure control method for nucleation boiling of CO2/lubricant in molecular dynamics simulation

Conventional molecular dynamics simulations of nucleation boiling typically employ the fixed volume method, resulting in a non-constant pressure during the boiling process. In this paper, we propose an additional pressure control method, placing a cover plate at the top of the liquid phase to achieve liquid phase pressure control during boiling. The novel method yields a pressure control error within ±5 %. CO2 and CO2/PEC4 lubricating oil mixture are used to investigate the differences in heat transfer characteristics between non-constant and constant pressure nucleation boiling. Furthermore, the effect of PEC4 lubricating oil on CO2 nucleation boiling under a fixed pressure condition is explored. The results show that both the bubble nucleation and growth time of CO2 and the CO2/PEC4 mixture are prolonged under constant pressure. This causes a compression in CO2 molecular spacing, thereby reducing CO2 diffusion and mass transfer capabilities. Heat transfer from the solid to the liquid, and within the liquid itself, is diminished, while the distribution of PEC4 molecules within the liquid phase becomes more even. The migration rate of PEC4 molecules in the liquid phase slows down. Under the constant pressure model, PEC4 increases the mass transfer resistance of CO2. As the lubricant mass fraction rises, The nucleation and growth rate of CO2 bubbles decline. In comparison to CO2, PEC4 molecules exhibit a stronger interaction energy with the Cu wall surface. During boiling, some PEC4 molecules accumulate on the Cu surface, forming an oil film that impedes the direct contact between CO2 molecules and the Cu wall.

Accelerated carbonation of hardened cement paste: Quantification of calcium carbonate via ATR infrared spectroscopy

AbstractIn context of carbon capture and storage in cement and concrete industry, there is a strong demand for fast, reliable, and low‐cost CO2 quantification methods. Attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy (ATR‐IR) in conjunction with multivariate calibration via partial‐least‐squares regression was applied to quantify CaCO3 in carbonated hardened Portland cement pastes, as this method shows great potential in the field of process control. Thermogravimetric analysis coupled with infrared spectrometry for the detection of the evolving gases was used as a reference for quantification. Three methods for the quantitative analysis with different partial‐least‐squares parameters were developed on a series of ground physical mixtures of slightly carbonated and highly carbonated hydrated cement pastes that had absorbed up to 77% of the theoretical capacity for CO2. Additional samples for optimization and validation of the method were prepared by accelerated carbonation of cylindrical slices of hardened cement paste as a function of exposure time. In these experiments, the major CO2 uptake occurs in the first 60 min until the formation of CaCO3 layers limits the diffusion of CO2 and Ca2+ ions. The developed partial‐least‐squares models provided low estimation errors of max. 1.5 wt% and high correlation coefficients above 99.5%. The validation covers a concentration range of 20–48 wt% of CaCO3. Limitations of the method are discussed.

In-situ construction of CoS2@NC hierarchical binder-free cathode for advanced Li–CO2 batteries

A well-defined CoS2@NC(CS-500) hierarchical binder-free catalyst cathode is constructed through in-situ grown of ZIF-67 on carbon cloth and high-temperature carbonization. The well-dispersed CoS2 on the scaffold provides abundant reactive sites for CO2 reduction and evolution. The permanent tunnels inherited from ZIF-67 is favourable for Li+ transfer and CO2 diffusion. The binder-free design and N doped carbon skeleton facilitate the electron delivery, thus facilitating the fast cathode reaction kinetics. As a result, the CS-500 derived Li-CO2 batteries presents superior discharge capacity (19000 mA h g−1 at 200 mA g−1) and cycle performance (90 cycles) as well as low overpotential of 0.82 V. This work provides inspiration for developing MOF derived cathode catalysts for advanced Li-CO2 batteries.

CO Diffusion Study and Spatial and Temporal Variation Modeling during the Construction Period of the Plateau Railroad Tunnel.

In order to investigate the diffusion law of CO gas in the vicinity of the tunnel boring face of the plateau long tunnel, to improve the efficiency of tunnel smoke exhaust, and to derive the spatial-temporal variation model of CO concentration for predicting the concentration of CO at different times and in different cross sections under specific environments, a CO diffusion model of a tunnel in Yunnan was established by using Ansys Fluent Fluid Simulation Software, and the CO transport characteristics under different conditions were simulated by taking the ventilation time, wind speed, and location of the air ducts as the influencing factors. The results show that the wind flows from the mouth of the wind pipe after the wind speed decreases, the diffusion area increases and arrives at the face of the direction of the rebound in the jet stream of new wind, and the return wind under the joint action of the vortex produced obviously, to reach the wind pipe mouth after the tunnel wind flow field, basically tends to stabilize. When the wind pipe mouth was arranged in the arch waist, 20 m away from the boring face, the inlet wind speed was 9 m/s and the ventilation time was 30 min; the CO concentration in the tunnel was reduced to below the maximum allowable concentration value. Moreover, the concentration of CO in the tunnel at the moment of 15 min of ventilation has a nonlinear positive correlation with the change of distance L from the boring face, while at the cross section of the air outlet of the wind pipe L = 20 m, the ventilation time is from 1 to 30 min and the concentration of CO at the cross section has a nonlinear decreasing trend with the ventilation time, which can be deduced according to the different space-time change models.

DFT Study of adsorption and diffusion of CO2 on bimetallic surfaces

ABSTRACT In this work, adsorption and diffusion of CO2 on the Cu (111) surface, and Cu (111) surface modified by tungsten (W) and platinum (Pt) were studied and their electronic properties were examined using Density-functional theory (DFT) simulations. To specify the most favourable adsorption sites, the adsorption energies and distances of CO2 on various surface sites including on top, hexagonal close-packed (HCP), and bridge were calculated. The crystal orbital overlap population analysis was employed to investigate the properties and characteristics of chemical bonding. The computed Bader atomic charges of CO2 molecules on different catalyst surfaces indicated that the Cu-W alloy surface had a higher net charge transfer than other surfaces. This result suggests that the adsorption of CO2 on the Cu-W alloy surface is more powerful than on other surfaces. The outcomes indicated that the CO2 adsorption on the surfaces follows the order of Cu-W alloy > Cu-Pt alloy > Cu. Also, the diffusion on the alloy surfaces was faster than on the Cu surface, which confirms the adsorption energy.

Modeling and Evaluation of a Rate-Based Transcutaneous Blood Gas Monitor.

Current methods for transcutaneous blood gas monitoring (TBM) - a common health monitoring method in neonatal care - comes with a suite of challenges like limited attachment opportunities, and risks of infections from burning and tearing of the skin, which limits its use. This study presents a novel system and method for rate-based transcutaneous CO2 measurements with a soft, unheated skin-interface that can address many of these problems. Additionally, a theoretical model for the gas transport from the blood to the system's sensor is derived. By simulating CO2 advection and diffusion through the cutaneous microvasculature and epidermis to the system's skin interface, the effect of a wide range of physiological properties on the measurement has been modeled. Following these simulations, a theoretical model for the relationship between the measured CO2 concentration and that in the blood was derived and compared to empirical data. Applying the model on measured blood gas levels, even when the theory was based solely on the simulations, produced blood CO2 concentrations within ∼35% of empirical measurements from a state-of-the-art device. Further calibration of the framework, also using the empirical data, yielded an output with a Pearson correlation of 0.84 between the two methods. Compared to the state-of-the-art device the proposed system measured the partial CO2 pressure in the blood with an average deviation of 0.04 kPa and 1.97σ of ±1.1 kPa. However, the model indicated that this performance could be hampered by different skin properties. Given its soft and gentle skin interface and lack of heating, the proposed system could significantly decrease health risks like, burns, tears, and pain, currently associated with TBM on premature neonates.

Effect of incorporation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes on the CO2/CH4 separation performance of sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) / polyetherimide composite membranes using design of experiments and molecular dynamics simulation methods

Blend membranes were prepared based on sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) and poly (etherimide) (PEI) using different amounts of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) (up to 2 wt%). PEEK has been sulfonated directly to reach 70 % degree of sulfonation. The manufactured membranes were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning field emission electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The effect of the composition of SPEEK / PEI on membrane selectivity was investigated under different feed pressures (2 to 8 bar) and temperatures (25 to 55 °C). The values of selectivity and gas permeability were varied between the value of the individual polymers, fluctuating systematically with SPEEK / PEI content variation in the blends. TGA and tensile tests result obtained for prepared membranes shown that the hybrid membrane had good thermal and mechanical properties. The addition of MWCNTs to the blend led to simultaneously improve the selectivity and permeability of the pair gases of CO2 and CH4. The permeability of CO2, as well as CH4/CO2 selectivity for the membrane with the same weight of SPEEK and PEI, and 1 wt% of MWCNTs (coded SP55M1) experienced an increase of about 22 % compared with the neat membrane. Molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) were performed by employing the COMPASS force field to estimate the diffusivity of CH4 and CO2 gases through selected membranes. At last, with compared to the obtained experimetal data, the optimized nanocomposite membrane, integrated with MWCNTs was efficient, which makes it promising platform to separate mixed gase flows of CO2 and CH4 and other related environmental processes.

Photosynthetic plasticity aggravates the susceptibility of magnesium-deficient leaf to high light in rapeseed plants: the importance of Rubisco and mesophyll conductance.

Plants grown under low magnesium (Mg) soils are highly susceptible to encountering light intensities that exceed the capacity of photosynthesis (A), leading to a depression of photosynthetic efficiency and eventually to photooxidation (i.e., leaf chlorosis). Yet, it remains unclear which processes play a key role in limiting the photosynthetic energy utilization of Mg-deficient leaves, and whether the plasticity of A in acclimation to irradiance could have cross-talk with Mg, hence accelerating or mitigating the photodamage. We investigated the light acclimation responses of rapeseed (Brassica napus) grown under low- and adequate-Mg conditions. Magnesium deficiency considerably decreased rapeseed growth and leaf A, to a greater extent under high than under low light, which is associated with higher level of superoxide anion radical and more severe leaf chlorosis. This difference was mainly attributable to a greater depression in dark reaction under high light, with a higher Rubisco fallover and a more limited mesophyll conductance to CO2 (gm ). Plants grown under high irradiance enhanced the content and activity of Rubisco and gm to optimally utilize more light energy absorbed. However, Mg deficiency could not fulfill the need to activate the higher level of Rubisco and Rubisco activase in leaves of high-light-grown plants, leading to lower Rubisco activation and carboxylation rate. Additionally, Mg-deficient leaves under high light invested more carbon per leaf area to construct a compact leaf structure with smaller intercellular airspaces, lower surface area of chloroplast exposed to intercellular airspaces, and CO2 diffusion conductance through cytosol. These caused a more severe decrease in within-leaf CO2 diffusion rate and substrate availability. Taken together, plant plasticity helps to improve photosynthetic energy utilization under high light but aggravates the photooxidative damage once the Mg nutrition becomes insufficient.

Investigation on cost-effective composites for CO2 adsorption from post-gasification residue and metal organic framework

Cost-effective CO2 adsorbents are gaining increasing attention as viable solutions for mitigating climate change. In this study, composites were synthesized by electrochemically combining the post-gasification residue of Macadamia nut shell with copper benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate (CuBTC). Among the different composites synthesized, the ratio of 1:1 between biochar and CuBTC (B 1:1) demonstrated the highest CO2 adsorption capacity. Under controlled laboratory conditions (0°C, 1 bar, without the influence of ambient moisture or CO2 diffusion limitations), B 1:1 achieved a CO2 adsorption capacity of 9.8 mmol/g, while under industrial-like conditions (25°C, 1 bar, taking into account the impact of ambient moisture and CO2 diffusion limitations within a bed of adsorbent), it reached 6.2 mmol/g. These values surpassed those reported for various advanced CO2 adsorbents investigated in previous studies. The superior performance of the B 1:1 composite can be attributed to the optimization of the number of active sites, porosity, and the preservation of the full physical and chemical surface properties of both parent materials. Furthermore, the composite exhibited a notable CO2/N2 selectivity and improved stability under moisture conditions. These favorable characteristics make B 1:1 a promising candidate for industrial applications.

Effects of polar fractions on interfacial and bulk properties at the oil/carbonated aqueous solution interface: Insight from molecular dynamics simulation

This study utilized molecular dynamics simulations to understand the liquid/liquid interfaces in a natural environment involving carbon dioxide and various acidic components. The aim is to unravel the impact of polar fractions with various chemical structures and functional groups, namely benzoic acid, decanoic acid, phenol, and decanol, on the interfacial phenomena of the oleic phase (decane) in contact with water or CO2-rich water at the molecular resolution. The findings indicate that carbon dioxide molecules enrich at the decane/water interface before dissolving into the oleic phase. When polar molecules are introduced to the oleic phase, there is a competition between carbon dioxide and acidic components to accumulate at the interface. The functional hydrocarbon fractions displace carbon dioxide at the interface and bridge the oleic and aqueous phases, reducing interfacial tension. Polar components change the charge distribution of water molecules in the biphasic system, signifying that the organized water layer at the interface with the non-aqueous phase has been disrupted. In contrast to the polar molecules, the carbon dioxide tends to diffuse into the oleic phase and changes the bulk properties like oil fluidity. Accordingly, the fluidity of the decane exhibited significant enhancement by CO2 diffusion throughout the bulk oil phase, which might lead to substantial viscosity reduction.

Predicting Gaseous Solute Diffusion in Viscous Multivalent Ionic Liquid Solvents.

Calculating solute diffusion in dense, viscous solvents can be particularly challenging in molecular dynamics simulations due to the long time scales involved. Here, a new scaling approach is developed for predicting solute diffusion based on analyses of CO2 and SO2 diffusion in two different multivalent ionic liquid solvents. Various scaling approaches are initially evaluated, including single and separate thermostats for the solute and solvent, as well as the application of the Arrhenius relationship and the Speedy-Angell power law. A very strong logarithmic correlation is established between the solvent-accessible surface area and solute diffusion. This relationship, reflecting Danckwerts' surface renewal theory and the Vrentas-Duda free volume model, presents a valuable method for estimating diffusion behavior from short simulation trajectories at elevated temperatures. The approach may be beneficial for enhancing predictive modeling in similar challenging systems and should be more broadly evaluated.

Eco-friendly strategy for CO2 enrichment performance in commercial greenhouses based on the CO2 spatial distribution and photosynthesis

CO2 enrichment is an essential environmental control technology due to its significantly enhancing effect on crop production capacity. Despite being a key energy consumer in protected agriculture (i.e. greenhouse systems), CO2 enrichment remains at a low energy use efficiency level, highlighting the need for developing more energy-efficiency strategies for CO2 enrichment. Therefore, this study employed the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation method to replicate the CO2 diffusion process resulting from CO2 enrichment in three commercial strawberry greenhouses with varying geometric characteristics. Based on the CFD-simulated CO2 concentration distributions, the leaf photosynthetic rate was calculated using a mathematical model group. The CO2 enrichment efficiency was then analysed by calculating the ratio of increased photosynthesis across the cultivation area to the amount of energy (in CO2 equivalent) used. The efficiency peaked when the average CO2 concentration was approximately 500 μmol mol−1, thereby providing guidance for determining the target concentration of CO2 enrichment in production. Although this study is limited as the CFD simulation only considered a typical short-period CO2 enrichment event, future research will provide a broader analysis by considering changes throughout the day.

Diffusion and Dissolution Behaviors of CO2, CH4, and N2 in Heavy Oil under High-Temperature and -Pressure Conditions: Insights into Heavy Oil Production via Multithermal Fluid Stimulation

Diffusion and Dissolution Behaviors of CO₂, CH₄, and N₂ in Heavy Oil under High-Temperature and -Pressure Conditions: Insights into Heavy Oil Production via Multithermal Fluid Stimulation

Leaf and wood functional traits explain the strategies developed by Byrsonima sericea (Malpighiaceae) to survive in Atlantic Forest ecosystems under water and light variations

The Atlantic Forest is a heterogeneous biome comprised of different phytophysiognomies with contrasting microclimatic and edaphic characteristics, such as sandbanks and forests. Sandbanks are ecosystems with low water availability and high irradiance, requiring leaf and wood specific adjustments from species to survive. On the other hand, tropical rain forests lack a pronounced dry season, providing enough resources to allow competition from light-demanding trees and sustaining a spectrum of shade tolerance for understory species. To better understand how functional traits are determined, it is necessary to evaluate variables that are site-specific, i.e. that are displayed within an organism in different environments. We aimed to assess how does variation in the functional traits of the leaf and wood of Byrsonima sericea influence the survival abilities of this species to thrive under contrasting scenarios of light and water availability. Also, which set of morpho-anatomical and physiological traits are considered to be site-specific responses that are affecting positively the capacity of the species to adapt in these contrasting scenarios of the Atlantic Forest? The high irradiance in sandbank shaped functional traits of B. sericea leaves that allowed an allocation strategy of the available resources, with investment in leaf mass rather than in trunk biomechanics and hydraulic efficiency. The higher leaf density through smaller and numerous cells along with higher stomatal density and area, facilitating CO2 diffusion, were associated with a greater photosynthetic capacity and greater intrinsic water use efficiency. As in the forest, light is a limiting factor for species to grow, the fluctuating light over a short timescale can influence whole plant performance, thus requiring an investment in trunk biomechanics. Additionally, a set of wood traits in the forest was related to water availability favoring wider vessel elements with thicker walls, increasing the theoretical hydraulic conductivity, even though it implicated a higher vulnerability to cavitation. Our study has demonstrated that variation of traits of different plant structures, such as the leaf and wood, within a species has direct implications in the survival strategies at each environmental conditions of light and water availability. It is also stated that there are different sets of functional traits which are responsible for allocation strategies, leading to specific trade-offs that allow the species to display site-specific responses in order to survive.