Improving CO₂ Capture Performance of Aqueous MDEA Through Hybridization of Sulfolane and MIL-101-NH₂(Cr)

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Chemistry, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran

2 School of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/poll.2025.402056.3109

Abstract

To improve the absorption and desorption performance of aqueous MDEA solution, a hybrid solvent composed of 40 wt.% MDEA and 20 wt.% Sulfolane was prepared and systematically evaluated under varying pressure conditions. At (0.1–0.5 MPa) pressures, the conventional aqueous MDEA solution exhibited a higher CO₂ absorption capacity in comparison to the hybrid solution, indicating its effectiveness in less pressurized environments. However, under high-pressure (>0.5 MPa) conditions, the hybrid solution demonstrated superior performance, reaching 3.28 mol·kg⁻¹ CO₂ molality, compared to 2.94 mol·kg⁻¹ for the conventional solution. This enhanced capacity highlights the beneficial interaction between MDEA and sulfolane at elevated pressures. Additionally, the hybrid formulation improved the regeneration efficiency by 3.7% relative to the standard MDEA solution, indicating better solvent recyclability. The incorporation of 0.1 wt.% MIL-101-NH₂(Cr) nanoparticles into the hybrid solvent further enhanced system performance, increasing CO₂ molality by 17.1% suggesting enhanced surface area, the porous surface, the amine functional groups and active site availability for CO₂ interaction. elevating the regeneration efficiency to 99.45% at an operating temperature of 80°C, demonstrating the underscoring the synergistic role of nanomaterials in advancing solvent-based CO₂ capture technologies.

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References

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Pollution
Volume 12, Issue 1
January 2026
Pages 433-447

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