Experimental Measurements of Amine-Functionalized Anion-Tethered Ionic Liquids with Carbon Dioxide

Amine-functionalized anion-tethered ionic liquids (ILs), trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium glycinate [P-66614][Gly], alanate [P-66614][Ala), sarcosinate [P-66614][Sar], valinate [P-66614][Val], leucinate [P-66614][Leu], and isoleucinate [P-66614][Ile], were synthesized and investigated as potential absorbents for CO2 capture from postcombustion flue gas. Their physical properties, including density, viscosity, glass transition temperature, and thermal decomposition temperature, were determined. The influence of changing the anion and, more specifically, the length of the alkyl chain is discussed. Furthermore, the CO2 absorption isotherms of length of the alkyl chain is discussed. Furthermore, the CO2 absorption isotherms of [P-66614][Gly], [P-66614][Ile], [P-66641[Sar], and [P-66614][Ala] were measured using a volumetric method, and the results were modeled with two different Langmuir-type absorption models. All four ILs reached greater than 0.5 mol of CO2 per mole of IL at CO2 pressures of less than 1 bar. This indicates the predominance of the 1:1 mechanism, where the CO2 reacts with one IL to form a carbamic acid, over further reaction with another IL to make a carbamate (the 1:2 mechanism). The chemical absorption of CO2 dramatically increased the viscosity of the IL, but this can be mitigated to some extent by decreasing the number of hydrogens on the anion available for hydrogen-bonding.