Enhanced adsorption of trace carbon dioxide from acetylene using Polyethyleneimine-Diethanolamine blends

The removal of trace carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from acetylene (C 2 H 2 ) through adsorption poses a significant challenge due to their similar kinetic diameters and physical properties. Here, we report a novel solid amine adsorbent, polyethyleneimine-diethanolamine functionalized silica dioxide (termed P/D-SD), which exhibited a remarkable CO 2 adsorption capacity of 1.76 mmol/g at 298 K and 0.0004 bar. The IAST selectivity of the CO 2 /C 2 H 2 (1/99, v/v) mixture of P/D-SD was 7.98E + 05. The exceptional separation performance of P/D-SD is demonstrated through breakthrough experiments, producing ultra-high purity C 2 H 2 (greater than 99.9 %) from CO 2 /C 2 H 2 (1/99) mixtures. Its CO 2 adsorption performance remains largely unaffected under different humidity condition. Furthermore, P/D-SD exhibited excellent stability in the adsorption–desorption cycle and rapid CO 2 adsorption kinetics at different temperatures when compared with P-SD. The adsorption mechanism of P/D-SD with CO 2 was studied as a chemisorption process via in situ DRIFTS.