In Situ ATR and DRIFTS Studies of the Nature of Adsorbed CO2 on Tetraethylenepentamine Films

CO2 adsorption/desorption onto/from tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) films of 4, 10, and 20 μm thicknesses were studied by in situ attenuated total reflectance (ATR) and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) techniques under transient conditions. Molar absorption coefficients for adsorbed CO2 were used to determine the CO2 capture capacities and amine efficiencies (CO2/N) of the films in the DRIFTS system. Adsorption of CO2 onto surface and bulk NH2 groups of the 4 μm film produced weakly adsorbed CO2, which can be desorbed at 50 °C by reducing the CO2 partial pressure. These weakly adsorbed CO2 exhibit low ammonium ion intensities and could be in the form of ammonium-carbamate ion pairs and zwitterions. Increasing the film thickness enhanced the surface amine–amine interactions, resulting in strongly adsorbed ion pairs and zwitterions associated with NH and NH2 groups of neighboring amines. These adsorbed species may form an interconnected surface network, which slowed CO2 gas diffusion into and diminished access of the bulk amine groups (or amine efficiency) of the 20 μm film by a minimum of 65%. Desorption of strongly adsorbed CO2 comprising the surface network could occur via dissociation of NH3 +/NH2 +···NH2/NH ionic hydrogen bonds beginning from 60 to 80 °C, followed by decomposition of NHCOO–/NCOO– at 100 °C. These results suggest that faster CO2 diffusion and adsorption/desorption kinetics could be achieved by thinner layers of liquid or immobilized amines.