Encapsulated Amino Acid-Based Ionic Liquid for CO<sub>2</sub> Separation Membranes
Liliana P. Silva, Eyad A. Qasem, Lakshmeesha Upadhyaya, Rebecca Esposito, Radosław Górecki, João A. P. Coutinho, Pedro J. Carvalho, Suzana P. Nunes
Abstract
Membrane technology has been valuable for the transition to a fully sustainable economy. We demonstrate the application of amino-acid-based ionic liquids integrated into polymeric membranes for the preferential transport of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). This material has a high absorption capacity for CO 2, increasing its solubility in the membrane and, consequently, permeability. The amino-acid-based ionic liquid is encapsulated in porous carbon capsules to avoid leaching out during the membrane operation. The selective layer polymer matrix was constituted by Pebax1657. The addition of 1 wt % of encapsulated amino-acid–base ionic liquid led to a more than 2-fold permeability enhancement while maintaining the ideal selectivity for CO 2 over other light gases. The permeability was even higher when tested with humid mixed gases without compromising the selectivity.