SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE
The salt-based catalytic enhancement of CO2 absorption by a tertiary amine medium†
Abstract
The rise in atmospheric CO2 levels due to the effects of human activities poses a serious threat to the world's ecosystems because of global warming and climate change. Efficient methods are needed to limit the elevation of CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Here, we propose an improved CO2 sequestration method that uses new catalysts, specifically a series of tertiary amine nitrate salts, in an aqueous tertiary amine medium. We synthesized the new catalysts and characterized them by using 1H and 13C NMR, single crystal X-ray analysis, and FT-IR spectroscopy. The effects of the catalysts on CO2 absorption were assessed by using a stopped-flow spectrophotometer, and their heats of absorption and CO2 absorption capacities were measured with a differential reaction calorimeter (DRC) at high concentrations of the tertiary amine medium. The CO2 hydration rate constants were determined under basic conditions and the catalysts were found to exhibit higher absorption of CO2 (a highest value of 430 M−1 s−1) than the tertiary amine medium (133 M−1 s−1). The increased absorption of CO2 and the low heat absorption energies of the new catalysts suggest that they could be used in post-combustion processes.
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