Facilely synthesized mesoporous polymer for dispersion of amino acid ionic liquid and effective capture of carbon dioxide from anthropogenic source

Abstract Dispersing amino acid ionic liquids (AAILs) in porous supports is an effective method to overcome the viscous and corrosive issues of AAILs. Herein, a facilely synthesized mesoporous polymer—polydivinylbenzene (PDVB) was proposed as the support of AAILs for CO2 capture. A simple AAIL—tetraethylammonium glycinate ([N2222][Gly]) was synthesized and then dispersed in PDVB by physical impregnation. The prepared [N2222][Gly]@PDVB samples were systematically characterized and examined for CO2 capture performance. Owing to the large pore volume and rich mesoporisty of PDVB, the CO2 capacities of [N2222][Gly]@PDVB samples are very impressive, with the highest value of 1.55 mmol/g at 75 °C for 10 vol.% of CO2 balanced in N2. The utilization ratios of dispersed [N2222][Gly] at 75 °C approach the theoretical value of 0.5, suggesting the efficient utilization of [N2222][Gly] for the capture of CO2. The adsorption selectivity and reversibility of [N2222][Gly]@PDVB samples are also very good, justifying their promising application in the capture of CO2 from anthropogenic source.