An oriented, siliceous deca-dodecasil 3R (DDR) zeolite film for effective carbon capture: Insight into its hydrophobic effect

Eunjoo Kim, Sungwon Hong, Eunhee Jang, Jeong Hyeon Lee, Jin Chul Kim, Nakwon Choi, Churl Hee Cho, Jaewook Nam, Sang Kyu Kwak, Alex C.K. Yip, Jungkyu Choi

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    57 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    An all-silica deca-dodecasil 3R (Si-DDR) zeolite with a pore size of 0.36 × 0.44 nm2 is highly desirable for membrane-based separation of CO2 (0.33 nm) from N2 (0.364 nm), which is critical in the post-combustion carbon capture process, via molecular recognition of their slight size difference. For the first time, we acquired h0h-oriented, hydrophobic DDR zeolite films through the epitaxial growth of a DDR seed layer with a structure directing agent of methyltropinium iodide. The degree of the out-of-plane orientation and inter-growth was increased with the secondary growth time, while reducing the defects that provide non-selective pathways. The resulting DDR membrane showed a CO2/N2 separation factor (SF) as high as 11.9 at 50 °C (a representative flue-gas temperature) under dry conditions. More desirably, it could achieve a much enhanced CO2/N2 SF of up to 15.9 at 50 °C in the presence of H2O vapor (3rd largest component in the flue-gas). The transport of the larger N2 molecule, plausibly its entering the pore mouth of DDR zeolites, was more inhibited by H2O molecules adsorbed on the membrane surface; it appears that this surface resistance was due to the hydrophobicity of the highly siliceous DDR membrane and beneficial for improving CO2/N2 SFs under wet conditions.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)11246-11254
    Number of pages9
    JournalJournal of Materials Chemistry A
    Volume5
    Issue number22
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2017

    Bibliographical note

    Publisher Copyright:
    © 2017 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • General Chemistry
    • Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
    • General Materials Science

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