Aminoacid based ionic liquids for capturing CO2 and SO2

• Grant number: 25/21727-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: October 01, 2025
• End date: September 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Organic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Omar Abou El Seoud
• Grantee: Pedro Henrique de Paula Sabanay
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 24/13668-4 - Innovative applications of ionic solvents in the chemistry of biopolymers, environmental chemistry, and in formulations for drugs with very low water solubility, AP.R

Abstract

This master's project is part of the FAPESP regular research grant (process 2024/13668-4), entitled "Innovative applications of ionic liquids in biopolymer chemistry, environmentalchemistry, and in formulations for poorly water-soluble drugs". The mitigation of pollutinggases and the development of efficient capture methods have driven the search for materials with high performance, low cost, biodegradability, and recyclability. In this context, ionicliquids (ILs) emerged as promising alternatives, particularly amino acid-based ionic liquids(AA-ILs), which show potential for the selective and reversible capture of CO2 and SO2.However, practical applications are hindered by challenges such as high viscosity. To addressthese limitations, this project proposes to study, in addition to pure ILs, binary mixtures withco-solvent and evaluate their effects on gas capture. Optimization will be conducted using theDesign of Experiments (DoE) methodology to identify the most promising systems. These willbe characterized through spectroscopic techniques (NMR, IR, Raman), physicochemicalanalyses (viscosity, density), and DFT calculations to elucidate the molecular-levelmechanisms of gas-IL interactions. The study is expected to advance the understanding ofselectivity and reversibility in gas capture, validate predictive statistical models, and establishcorrelations between AA-IL molecular structure and efficiency. Ultimately, the results willcontribute to the rational development of new materials applicable to sustainable pollutantmitigation processes.