Effect of Pore Structure on CO2 Adsorption Characteristics of Aminopolymer Impregnated MCM-36

The adsorption properties of a 2-dimensional, pillared, porous silicate material when loaded with an amine containing polymer were investigated. In this study, MCM-36, a stacked lamellar silicate, was used as a support for loading with different amounts of polyethylenimine (PEI) to augment the base material’s adsorptive properties. Based on the results of this research, high amine loading led to blockage of the mesoporous channels within the MCM-36 and degraded carbon dioxide diffusion into the solid and thus its adsorption. The upper limit amine loading placed upon inward carbon dioxide diffusion implied that there is an ideal amount of amine loading for any particular porous support that can improve the selectivity and capture of carbon dioxide compared to that of the starting material. This finding can be extrapolated to test the capture properties of other amine loaded supports in order to quickly determine their usefulness in future applications. Additionally, these results suggest that a different support structure that can accommodate amine loading without hindering diffusion rates may be necessary for effective carbon dioxide capture with solid adsorbents.