Work

Task-specific deep eutectic solvents: Intelligent molecular design for on-demand CO2 capture and release

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Achieving carbon neutrality demands advanced CO2 capture technologies that overcome the limitations of conventional amine-based solvents, such as high energy consumption and environmental toxicity. Here, a task-specific deep eutectic solvent (DES) engineered for on-demand CO2 capture and release, combining high efficiency, low energy consumption, and environmental sustainability was reported in this work, which employing an ionic liquid as a hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) and ethanol as a dual-function solvent/hydrogen bond donor (HBD). The [AEP][Pro]-Ethanol system achieved a high capacity of 1.10 mol CO2·mol absorbent-1 while a low viscosity of 13.06 mPa·s after saturated absorption, and kept 87% regeneration efficiency after five regeneration cycles at 363.15 K. Mechanistic insights from combined experimental characterization and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal a unique CO2 absorption pathway, enabling ultralow regeneration energy (1.94 GJ·ton−1 CO2)—nearly 50% lower than monoethanolamine (MEA, 3.77 GJ·ton-1 CO2). This DES platform merges molecular tunability, exceptional cycling stability, and industrial scalability, offering a breakthrough solution for next-generation carbon capture technologies.

Source: Chemical Engineering Journal

DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2025.170564