CO₂ Capture from Flue Gas Using Solid Molecular Basket Sorbents
Project No.: FE0000458

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Pennsylvania State University (PSU) is developing a new generation of solid polymer-based sorbents for more efficient capture and separation of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from flue gas of coal-fired power plants. The project is based on the concept of a "molecular basket" sorbent which was invented and developed at PSU. The idea of a molecular basket sorbent development is to load CO₂-philic polymers (polymers that have a preference for CO₂) onto high surface area nano-porous materials and use temperature swing for desorption. This process increases the number of approachable sites on/in the sorbent and enhances the sorption/desorption rate by increasing the gas-sorbent contacting interface and by improving mass transfer in the sorption/desorption process. The expected result of this project will be a concentrated CO₂ stream that can be directed to CO₂ sequestration or CO₂ utilization.

PSU is investigating the use of low-cost raw materials for the preparation of a new generation of molecular basket sorbents that maintain the merits of early-generation, high-cost molecular basket sorbents including high sorption capacity and selectivity, fast sorption-desorption rate, low energy for regeneration and good thermal and chemical stability. This effort may result in a promising type of solid sorbent material for the efficient and cost-effective capture of CO₂.