Atom-level interaction design between amines and support for achieving efficient and stable CO2 capture

Abstract Amine-functionalized adsorbents offer substantial potential for CO 2 capture owing to their selectivity and diverse application scenarios. However, their effectiveness is hindered by low efficiency and unstable cyclic performance. Here we introduce an amine-support system designed to achieve efficient and stable CO 2 capture. Through atom-level design, each polyethyleneimine (PEI) molecule is precisely impregnated into the cage-like pore of MIL–101(Cr), forming stable composites via strong coordination with unsaturated Cr acid sites within the crystal lattice. The resulting adsorbent demonstrates a low regeneration energy (39.6 kJ/mol CO2 ), excellent cyclic stability (0.18% decay per cycle under dry CO 2 regeneration), high CO 2 adsorption capacity (4.0 mmol/g), and rapid adsorption kinetics (15 min for saturation at 30 °C). These properties stem from the unique electron-level interaction between the amine and the support, effectively preventing carbamate products’ dehydration. This work presents a feasible and promising cost-effective and sustainable CO 2 capture strategy.