Novel Multifunctional Porous Liquid Composite for Recyclable Sequestration, Storage and In-situ Catalytic Conversion of Carbon Dioxide

Novel Multifunctional Porous Liquid Composite for Recyclable Sequestration, Storage and In-situ Catalytic Conversion of Carbon Dioxide

Archita Bhattacharjee, Raj Kumar and Prof. K. P. Sharma* Department of Chemistry, IIT Bombay, Powai, India

* E-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: Porous liquid composite, mesoporous liquid, hollow silica nanorods, CO₂ capture, CO₂ catalytic conversion

Abstract: Permanent pores combined with fluidity renders flow processability to porous liquids otherwise not seen in porous solids. Although, sequestration of different gases has recently been shown in porous liquids, there is still adearth of studies for deploying in-situ chemical reactionsto convert adsorbed gases into utility chemicals in this phase. Here, a facile method for the design and development of a new class of solvent-less porous liquid composite which, as shown for the first time, can catalyze the conversion of adsorbed gaseous molecules into industrially relevant product, is shown. The recyclable porous liquid composite comprising polymer-surfactant modified hollow silica nanorods and carbonic anhydrase enzyme not onlysequesters (5.5 ccg^-1 at 273 K and 1 atm) and stores CO₂,but is also capable of driving an in-situ enzymatic reaction for hydration of CO₂ to HCO₃^- ion, subsequently converting it CaCO₃ due to reaction with pre-dissolved Ca²⁺. Light and electron microscopy combined with x-ray diffraction reveals the nucleation and growth of calcite and aragonite crystals. Moreover, the liquid-like property of the porous composite material can be harnessed by executing the same reaction via diffusion ofcomplimentary Ca²⁺ and HCO₃^- ions through different compartments separated by an interfacial channel.