Preparation and characterization of PEI-loaded MCM-41 for CO2 capture

•CO2 capture behaviors of the PEI/MCM-41 were investigated under gas flue at 40 °C.•CO2 uptake cycles for PEI/MCM-41 were studied.•PEI was successfully dispersed into the channels of the MCM-41.•PEI-loading weights have largely influenced on CO2 capture performance.

MCM-41, a molecular sieve, was prepared using tetraethoxysilane and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and used as an effective adsorbent for CO2. By using the wet impregnation method, various weights of poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) were modified on mesoporous silicate MCM-41 for increasing the CO2-adsorption capacity. The samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) was conducted to investigate the CO2 capture behaviors. PEI was successfully dispersed into the channels of MCM-41, shifting the (110) diffraction peaks in the XRD patterns. The specific surface area and total pore volume of the PEI-loaded MCM-41 adsorbent decreased when the weight of PEI loading increased. From the results, it was concluded that PEI loading influences the CO2 capture performance, resulting from the enhancement of the basic functional groups on MCM-41.

Graphical abstractThis described the CO2 sorption capacity of MCM-41 and amine-functionalized MCM-41 in the CO2 uptake cycles under the gas flow containing 15% CO2 in N2 at 40 °C.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide