Nanocomposites with graft copolymer-templated mesoporous MgTiO3 perovskite for CO2 capture applications

Mesoporous MgTiO3 perovskite with a high porosity and interfacial properties were synthesized via a solvothermal reaction at 150 °C for 10 h using a graft copolymer, i.e., poly(vinyl chloride)-g-poly(oxyethylene methacrylate) (PVC-g-POEM) with a well-ordered micellar morphology as a structure-directing agent. A PVC-g-POEM graft copolymer with a wormlike morphology was utilized as a soft matrix to prepare a mixed matrix membrane (MMM) with mesoporous MgTiO3 perovskite through a solution-casting method. The structure and morphology of PVC-g-POEM graft copolymer was carefully tuned by controlling polymer-solvent interactions, as characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The average pore diameter of the MgTiO3 perovskite was 10.4 nm, which is effective in facilitating gas transport via Knudsen diffusion through mesopores as well as improving interfacial contact with the organic polymer matrix. Because of a high porosity (0.56), the density of mesoporous MgTiO3 (1.75 g/cm(3)) was much lower than that of dense nonporous MgTiO3 (4 g/cm(3)) and not significantly higher than that of PVC-g-POEM (1.25 g/cm(3)), leading to a uniform distribution of MgTiO3 in MMM. The permeability of MMM with MgTiO3 was greater than those of MMM with only MgO or TiO2, indicating the simultaneous improvement of solubility and diffusivity in the former, as supported by CO2 temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) measurements. The MMM with MgTiO3 25 wt % exhibited a CO2 permeability improvement of 140% up to 138.7 Barrer (1 Barrer = 1 × 10(-10) cm(3)(STP) cm cm(-2) s(-1) cmHg(-1)) without a large loss of CO2/N2 selectivity.