U.S. invents new process to make carbon dioxide adsorbent

A plastic called polyethyleneimine (PEI) has a strong ability to adsorb carbon dioxide on the surface. Therefore, if the PEI per unit mass has the largest surface area, it can adsorb the most carbon dioxide. Recently, the team led by Professor George Olah, a professor at the University of Southern California and the 1994 Nobel Prize winner in chemistry, successfully developed a new process to solve this problem.

The researchers first dissolved PEI in a methanol solvent, and then poured the solution into a silica (glass) material in a melt gasification state. After the methanol was evaporated and the silica was cooled, a porous solid material was formed, and numerous pores were formed. The inner wall absorbs a very thin layer of PEI. After testing, this material has three valuable characteristics: First, it adsorbs carbon dioxide at room temperature; Second, its carbon dioxide adsorption rate is 1.72 nmol/g is the highest so far; The third is to heat this material to 85 °C The carbon dioxide is released completely and the material can be put back into use, while the previously invented amino material called Aminosilica needs to be heated to 800°C. In addition, the new material is much cheaper than Aminosilica.

Experts believe that if this material is mass-produced in urban areas with high CO 2 concentrations, it will serve as an artificial forest to help cope with climate change; pure carbon dioxide from centralized recovery can be combined with hydrogenation extracted from seawater. Generate fuel methanol.