Valorization Strategies in CO2 Capture: A New Life for Exhausted Silica-Polyethylenimine

Coralli, Irene; Giuri, Demetra; Spada, Lorenzo; Ortolani, Jacopo; Mazzocchetti, Laura; Tomasini, Claudia; Stevens, Lee A.; Snape, Colin E.; Fabbri, Daniele

Abstract

The search for alternative ways to give a second life to materials paved the way for detailed investigation into three silica-polyethylenimine (Si-PEI) materials for the purpose of CO2 adsorption in carbon capture and storage. A solvent extraction procedure was investigated to recover degraded PEIs and silica, and concomitantly, pyrolysis was evaluated to obtain valuable chemicals such as alkylated pyrazines. An array of thermal (TGA, Py-GC-MS), mechanical (rheology), and spectroscopical (ATR-FTIR, 1H-13C-NMR) methods were applied to PEIs extracted with methanol to determine the relevant physico-chemical features of these polymers when subjected to degradation after use in CO2 capture. Proxies of degradation associated with the plausible formation of urea/carbamate moieties were revealed by Py-GC-MS, NMR, and ATR-FTIR. The yield of alkylpyrazines estimated by Py-GC-MS highlighted the potential of exhausted PEIs as possibly valuable materials in other applications.

Citation

Coralli, I., Giuri, D., Spada, L., Ortolani, J., Mazzocchetti, L., Tomasini, C., …Fabbri, D. (2023). Valorization Strategies in CO2 Capture: A New Life for Exhausted Silica-Polyethylenimine. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(19), Article 14415. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241914415

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 15, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Sep 22, 2023
• Publication Date: Oct 1, 2023
• Deposit Date: Oct 5, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 5, 2023
• Journal: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Print ISSN: 1661-6596
• Electronic ISSN: 1422-0067
• Publisher: MDPI
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 24
• Issue: 19
• Article Number: 14415
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241914415
• Keywords: Carbon capture; silica-PEI adsorbent; pyrolysis; solvent extraction
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/25645580
• Publisher URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/19/14415