Solar-Powered CO₂ Capture and Release Using Amine-Functionalized Plasmonic Titanium Nitride Nanoparticles.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Carbon capture technologies are crucial for mitigating climate change.
• Current methods often require high energy input for sorbent regeneration.
• Developing efficient and low-energy CO2 capture systems is a key research area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the use of functionalized titanium nitride (TiN) nanoparticles for reversible carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and release.
• To explore the application of plasmonic heating for low-energy CO2 desorption.
• To understand the surface chemistry and reaction pathways involved in the CO2 capture process.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of TiN nanoparticles functionalized with (3-aminopropyl)-triethoxysilane (APTES).
• Testing CO2 capture and release under simulated flue gas conditions using plasmonic heating.
• In situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and mass spectrometry (MS) for surface species analysis.

Main Results:

• TiN-APTES nanoparticles demonstrated effective reversible CO2 capture and release.
• Localized photothermal heating by TiN enabled low-energy CO2 desorption.
• DRIFTS and MS identified distinct carbonaceous surface species and reaction pathways.
• The hybrid system showed excellent durability and desorption efficiency over multiple cycles.

Conclusions:

• Functionalized TiN nanoparticles offer a novel, energetically favorable platform for CO2 cycling.
• Plasmonic heating provides a low-energy alternative for sorbent regeneration in CO2 capture.
• This approach has significant implications for developing scalable, low-carbon capture technologies.