Porous ionic liquids for the selective capture of gases

• Grant number: 18/25737-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date until: April 01, 2019
• End date until: May 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Rômulo Augusto Ando
• Grantee: Ahmed Díaz Páez
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 16/21070-5 - Vibrational spectroscopy with spatial resolution, AP.TEM

Abstract

Several strategies for the gas capture have been proposed in the literature over the last decades. In order to combine the properties of solid materials together with liquid phase within an unique class of compounds, it has been emphasized the recent use of porous ionic liquids. Such liquids are formed by mixtures of solid matrices, especially MOFs (Metal Organic Frameworks), with ionic liquids. The judicious choice of cations and anions that compose the ionic liquid allows the dispersion of solid materials or even their solubilization, without the assessment of the ions inside the matrix pores, due to the sterical hindering relative to the ions. In this manner, the high adsorption capacity associated to the solid matrices is kept within the liquid, which is also capable to absorb the gas favoring its diffusion into the material. In this project our goal is to investigate different solid matrices, particularly of the class of ZIFs (Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks) in several ionic liquids with the aim to optimize the capacity and the selectivity towards the absorption of gases, especially CO2, and others as SO2, acetylene and propylene. The characterization of the materials should be performed by techniques as X-Ray diffraction, SEM, NMR, TG-DSC, Raman and IR spectroscopies, and the solubility measurements will be performed by gravimetric measurements in function of pressure. Moreover, the thermodynamics of the adsorption/absorption and desorption processes will be characterized. The development of this project aims the understanding of the main factors that define the capacity and selectivity of gas absorption, and it will contribute in the development of more efficient gas capture processes. (AU)