Reversible CO2 Capture by Conjugated Ionic Liquids through Dynamic Covalent Carbon-Oxygen Bonds

The strong chemisorption of CO2 is always accompanied by a high absorption enthalpy, and traditional methods to reduce the absorption enthalpy lead to decreased CO2 capacities. Through the introduction of a large π-conjugated structure into the anion, a dual-tuning approach for the improvement of CO2 capture by anion-functionalized ionic liquids (ILs) resulted in a high capacity of up to 0.96 molCO2  mol-1IL and excellent reversibility. The increased capacity and improved desorption were supported by quantum chemical calculations, spectroscopic investigations, and thermogravimetric analysis. The increased capacity may be a result of the strengthened dynamic covalent bonds in these π-electron-conjugated structures through anion aggregation upon the uptake of CO2 , and the improved desorption originates from the charge dispersion of interaction sites through the large π-electron delocalization. These results provide important insights into effective strategies for CO2 capture.