A protophilic solvent‐assisted solvothermal approach to Cu‐BTC for enhanced CO2 capture

Cu‐BTC–ethylenediamine (EDA)/polyethyleneimine (PEI) adsorbents were synthesized using a protophilic solvent‐assisted solvothermal method. EDA was introduced to enhance the degree of activation due to its lower boiling point allowing it to be removed easily compared with dimethylformamide. A contrast experiment was done by introducing PEI to the solvothermal solution considering its higher boiling point. Powder X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopic characterizations were performed to investigate the effect of EDA/PEI on crystallinity and morphology of the adsorbents. ¹H NMR characterization and elemental analysis were performed to study the removal rate of organic guest molecules and the degree of activation. Nitrogen physical adsorption and CO₂ adsorption isotherms were used to measure the surface area and CO₂ adsorption capacities. The CO₂ adsorption mechanism of the synthesized adsorbents is mainly dependent on physisorption determined by surface area. Furthermore, open metal sites generated by the enhancement of degree of activation also promote the CO₂ adsorption performance. Therefore, adsorbents synthesized using the protophilic solvent‐assisted solvothermal method exhibit excellent CO₂ adsorption performance. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.