Tetraethylenepentamine-Grafted Magnetic Polymer Composite as Promising Sorbent for CO2 Capture

In this study, magnetic porous glycidyl methacrylate and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate copolymer (mP) grafted with tetraethylenepentamine (mP-TEPA) obtained in a two-step procedure was tested as the CO2 sorbent. The morphological, textural, structural, and thermal characterization of the sample was determined by scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDS), mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), nitrogen physisorption at 77 K, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in ATR mode (FTIR-ATR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), elemental analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The effects of thermodynamic and kinetic parameters, as well as the adsorption/desorption mechanism on the CO2 sorption ability of mP-TEPA, were investigated using a pulse gas chromatographic method. Under optimal adsorption conditions, the CO2 sorption capacity reached 6.20 mmol CO2/g (6.20 × 10−2 mmol CO2/m2). Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) experiments were conducted to calculate the activation energy of CO2 desorption. The low desorption activation energy of 18.80 kJ/mol and high desorption rate, with stable CO2 uptake after ten adsorption/desorption cycles, suggest that mP-TEPA is a potentially excellent sorbent for CO2 adsorption.