Control of Uniform and Interconnected Macroporous Structure in PolyHIPE for Enhanced CO2 Adsorption/Desorption...

The highly uniform and interconnected macroporous polymer materials were prepared within the high internal phase hydrosol-in-oil emulsions (HIPEs). Impregnated with polyethylenimine (PEI), the polyHIPEs were then employed as solid adsorbents for CO2 capture. Thermodynamic and kinetic capture-and-release tests were performed with pure CO2, 10% CO2/N2, and moist CO2, respectively. It has shown that the polyHIPE with suitable surface area and PEI impregnation exhibits high CO2 adsorption capacity, remarkable CO2/N2 selectivity, excellent adsorption/desorption kinetics, enhanced efficiency in the presence of water, and admirable stability in capture and release cycles. The results demonstrate the superior comprehensive performance of the present PEI-impregnated polyHIPE for CO2 capture from the postcombustion flue gas.