Carbon Dioxide Capture by Adsorption in a Model Hydroxy-Modified Graphene Pore

Concerns regarding the environmental impact of increasing levels of anthropogenic carbon dioxide have led to a variety of studies examining solid surfaces for their ability to trap this greenhouse gas (GHG). Atmospheric or post-combustion carbon capture requires an efficient separation of carbon dio...

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Main Authors: Paige Freyre, Emalee St. Pierre, Thomas Rybolt
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-07-01
Series:International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/14/11452
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author Paige Freyre
Emalee St. Pierre
Thomas Rybolt
author_facet Paige Freyre
Emalee St. Pierre
Thomas Rybolt
author_sort Paige Freyre
collection DOAJ
description Concerns regarding the environmental impact of increasing levels of anthropogenic carbon dioxide have led to a variety of studies examining solid surfaces for their ability to trap this greenhouse gas (GHG). Atmospheric or post-combustion carbon capture requires an efficient separation of carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas. We used the molecular mechanics MM3 parameter set (previously shown to provide good estimates of molecule–surface binding energies) to calculate theoretical surface binding energies for carbon dioxide ∆E(CO<sub>2</sub>) and nitrogen ∆E(N<sub>2</sub>). For efficient separation, differentiation of these two gas-surface adsorption energies is required. Examined structures based on graphene, carbon slit width pore, and carbon nanotube gave ∆E(CO<sub>2</sub>) to ∆E(N<sub>2</sub>) ratios of 1.7, 1.8, and 1.9, respectively. To enhance the CO<sub>2</sub> adsorption, we developed a model graphene surface pore lined with four hydroxy groups whose orientation allowed them to form hydrogen bonds with the oxygens in CO<sub>2</sub>. Both the single-layer and double-layer versions of this pore gave significant enhancement in the ability to trap CO<sub>2</sub> preferentially to N<sub>2</sub>. The two-layer version of this pore gave ∆E(CO<sub>2</sub>) = 73 and ∆E(N<sub>2</sub>) = 6.8 kJ/mol. The one- and two-layer versions of this novel pore averaged a ∆E(CO<sub>2</sub>) to ∆E(N<sub>2</sub>) ratio of 12.
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spelling doaj.art-8f69d2f1b6314c3c9af1b1eb2feeadd32023-11-18T19:39:39ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672023-07-0124141145210.3390/ijms241411452Carbon Dioxide Capture by Adsorption in a Model Hydroxy-Modified Graphene PorePaige Freyre0Emalee St. Pierre1Thomas Rybolt2Department of Chemistry and Physics, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN 37403, USADepartment of Chemistry and Physics, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN 37403, USADepartment of Chemistry and Physics, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN 37403, USAConcerns regarding the environmental impact of increasing levels of anthropogenic carbon dioxide have led to a variety of studies examining solid surfaces for their ability to trap this greenhouse gas (GHG). Atmospheric or post-combustion carbon capture requires an efficient separation of carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas. We used the molecular mechanics MM3 parameter set (previously shown to provide good estimates of molecule–surface binding energies) to calculate theoretical surface binding energies for carbon dioxide ∆E(CO<sub>2</sub>) and nitrogen ∆E(N<sub>2</sub>). For efficient separation, differentiation of these two gas-surface adsorption energies is required. Examined structures based on graphene, carbon slit width pore, and carbon nanotube gave ∆E(CO<sub>2</sub>) to ∆E(N<sub>2</sub>) ratios of 1.7, 1.8, and 1.9, respectively. To enhance the CO<sub>2</sub> adsorption, we developed a model graphene surface pore lined with four hydroxy groups whose orientation allowed them to form hydrogen bonds with the oxygens in CO<sub>2</sub>. Both the single-layer and double-layer versions of this pore gave significant enhancement in the ability to trap CO<sub>2</sub> preferentially to N<sub>2</sub>. The two-layer version of this pore gave ∆E(CO<sub>2</sub>) = 73 and ∆E(N<sub>2</sub>) = 6.8 kJ/mol. The one- and two-layer versions of this novel pore averaged a ∆E(CO<sub>2</sub>) to ∆E(N<sub>2</sub>) ratio of 12.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/14/11452adsorptionbinding energycarbon dioxidenitrogencarbon capturegraphene
spellingShingle Paige Freyre
Emalee St. Pierre
Thomas Rybolt
Carbon Dioxide Capture by Adsorption in a Model Hydroxy-Modified Graphene Pore
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
adsorption
binding energy
carbon dioxide
nitrogen
carbon capture
graphene
title Carbon Dioxide Capture by Adsorption in a Model Hydroxy-Modified Graphene Pore
title_full Carbon Dioxide Capture by Adsorption in a Model Hydroxy-Modified Graphene Pore
title_fullStr Carbon Dioxide Capture by Adsorption in a Model Hydroxy-Modified Graphene Pore
title_full_unstemmed Carbon Dioxide Capture by Adsorption in a Model Hydroxy-Modified Graphene Pore
title_short Carbon Dioxide Capture by Adsorption in a Model Hydroxy-Modified Graphene Pore
title_sort carbon dioxide capture by adsorption in a model hydroxy modified graphene pore
topic adsorption
binding energy
carbon dioxide
nitrogen
carbon capture
graphene
url https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/14/11452
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AT emaleestpierre carbondioxidecapturebyadsorptioninamodelhydroxymodifiedgraphenepore
AT thomasrybolt carbondioxidecapturebyadsorptioninamodelhydroxymodifiedgraphenepore