Polyethylenimine-impregnated mesoporous silica: Effect of amine loading and surface alkyl chains on CO₂ adsorption

Poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) supported on pore-expanded MCM-41 whose surface is covered with a layer of long-alkyl chains was found to be a more efficient CO₂ adsorbent than PEI supported on the corresponding calcined silica and all PEI-impregnated materials reported in the literature. The layer of surface alkyl chains plays an important role in enhancing the dispersion of PEI, thus decreasing the diffusion resistance. It was also found that at low temperature, adsorbents with relatively low PEI contents are more efficient than their highly loaded counterparts because of the increased adsorption rate. Extensive CO₂ adsorption-desorption cycling showed that the use of humidified feed and purge gases affords materials with enhanced stability, despite limited loss due to amine evaporation.