THQ Synthesis, Formation of Aerogels for CO2 Capture

• Main Author: Gloriod, Joey
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Scholars' Mine 2022
• Subjects: Ocean acidification
• Online Access: https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/ugrc/2022/full-schedule/5; https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2239&context=ugrc

The accelerated increase of carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere over the modern era damages natural ecosystems through ocean acidification and global warming. As such, carbon capture is an essential tool for regulating CO2 levels from rising further, or, ideally, decreasing the carbon footprint overall. This project's goal is to formulate new materials for high capacity and selective CO2 adsorption. The material of focus is polymerized from the newly synthesized tetrahydroquinazoline (THQ) monomer. THQ is prepared in a four-step synthesis and polymerized through an acid catalyzed ring-opening mechanism. The PTHQ wet gels are then dried in an autoclave using supercritical CO2, resulting in aerogels which are aromatized at 240C under O2. The fully oxidized PTHQ aerogels are then carbonized at high temperatures under inert gas to yield carbon aerogels. These aerogels are further etched at 1000C under CO2 flow to increase the micropore volume dramatically. Finally, the carbon aerogels are evaluated for CO2 adsorption capacity and selectivity. The etched carbon aerogels show very high CO2 adsorption at atmospheric pressure (1 bar) and 273K, as well as high selectivity towards CO2 in comparison to H2, CH4, and N2 gases. Overall, the PTHQ carbon aerogels show promise as future candidates for carbon capture.