Robust microporous organic copolymers containing triphenylamine for high pressure CO2 capture application

Abstract

Various adsorbents including zeolites, activated carbon and metal-organic frameworks have demonstrated a potential capability for applications in pre-combustion carbon capture and H-2 purification owing to their large surface areas and affinity for CO2. However, most adsorbents showing promising performances in dry condition are not stable or lose their capability for capturing CO2 in the presence of H2O and acidic gases such as H2S. To address this issue, a series of triphenylamine-containing microporous organic copolymers (PP-N-x) possessing high surface areas (1010-1251 m(2) g(-1)) as well as excellent hydrolytic and acid stability were synthesized and evaluated for potential application in high pressure CO2 capture above-mentioned. Among the adsorbents tested, PP-N-25 exhibited the highest CO2/H-2 selectivity over the entire pressure range along with the good CO2 uptake capability which is comparable to HKUST-1, a commercial metal-organic framework possessing coordinatively open metal sites. Subsequent breakthrough experiment revealed that PP-N-25 maintains decent CO2 adsorption capability even in the presence of H2O while HKUST-1 lost CO2 capturing capability in humid condition.