Promoting the CO₂ adsorption in the amine-containing SBA-15 by hydroxyl group

Novel CO₂ capturer with a high efficiency is fabricated through dispersing the amine mixture of tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) and diethanolamine (DEA) or glycerol within the as-synthesized mesoporous silica SBA-15, and the resulting sample is characterized by low angle X-ray diffraction and N₂ adsorption to evaluate the distribution of the guest. The influence of hydroxyl group on the CO₂ adsorption capacity of the composite is investigated by using CO₂-TPD and TG-MS techniques. The hydroxyl group of the P123 ((EO)₂₀(PO)₇₀(EO)₂₀, template preserved in as-synthesized SBA-15) and the guest could promote the capture of CO₂ by the amine through changing the interaction mechanism. In addition, the presence of hydroxyl group promotes the formation of the intermediate between CO₂ and the amine with a lower thermal stability hence the CO₂ trapped by the composite is easier to be desorbed and thus the regeneration of adsorbent is facilitated. Therefore, using this mixed amine (TEPA and DEA) modified as-synthesized SBA-15 as CO₂ capturer not only saves the energy for removal of template, but also cut down the cost in the preparation and regeneration of CO₂ capturer, which is critical in CO₂ separation and capture.