TY - JOUR
T1 - Hierarchical Affinity Engineering in Amine-Functionalized Silica Membranes for Enhanced CO2 Separation
T2 - A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study
AU - Guo, Zhenghua
AU - Li, Qian
AU - Guo, Kaidi
AU - Yu, Liang
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 by the authors.
PY - 2025/7
Y1 - 2025/7
N2 - Excessive carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions represent a critical challenge in mitigating global warming, necessitating advanced separation technologies for efficient carbon capture. Silica-based membranes have attracted significant attention due to their exceptional chemical, thermal, and mechanical stability under harsh operating conditions. In this study, we introduce a novel layered hybrid membrane designed based on amine-functionalized silica precursors, where a distinct affinity gradient is engineered by incorporating two types of amine-functionalized materials. The top layer was composed of high-affinity amine species to maximize CO2 sorption, while a sublayer with milder affinity facilitated smooth CO2 diffusion, thereby establishing a continuous solubility gradient across the membrane. A dual approach, combining comprehensive experimental testing and rigorous theoretical modeling, was employed to elucidate the underlying CO2 transport mechanisms. Our results reveal that the hierarchical structure significantly enhances the intrinsic driving force for CO2 permeation, leading to superior separation performance compared to conventional homogeneous facilitated transport membranes. This study not only provides critical insights into the design principles of affinity gradient membranes but also demonstrates their potential for scalable, high-performance CO2 separation in industrial applications.
AB - Excessive carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions represent a critical challenge in mitigating global warming, necessitating advanced separation technologies for efficient carbon capture. Silica-based membranes have attracted significant attention due to their exceptional chemical, thermal, and mechanical stability under harsh operating conditions. In this study, we introduce a novel layered hybrid membrane designed based on amine-functionalized silica precursors, where a distinct affinity gradient is engineered by incorporating two types of amine-functionalized materials. The top layer was composed of high-affinity amine species to maximize CO2 sorption, while a sublayer with milder affinity facilitated smooth CO2 diffusion, thereby establishing a continuous solubility gradient across the membrane. A dual approach, combining comprehensive experimental testing and rigorous theoretical modeling, was employed to elucidate the underlying CO2 transport mechanisms. Our results reveal that the hierarchical structure significantly enhances the intrinsic driving force for CO2 permeation, leading to superior separation performance compared to conventional homogeneous facilitated transport membranes. This study not only provides critical insights into the design principles of affinity gradient membranes but also demonstrates their potential for scalable, high-performance CO2 separation in industrial applications.
KW - CO separation
KW - amine-functionalized silica membranes
KW - facilitated transport mechanism
KW - hierarchical affinity gradient
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105011492249
U2 - 10.3390/membranes15070201
DO - 10.3390/membranes15070201
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:105011492249
SN - 2077-0375
VL - 15
JO - Membranes
JF - Membranes
IS - 7
M1 - 201
ER -