Scientific Achievement

Researchers in the DAC program demonstrated that molecular polyamines (TriH) can capture CO₂ from air with high capacity and selectivity through a cooperative, crystalline phase transition, forming a porous hydrogen-bonded ammonium carbamate network.

Significance and Impact

TriH exhibits a gravimetric CO₂ capacity of 8.89 mmol CO₂/g, nearly tripling the previously highest capacity reported for a solid DAC adsorbent. High capacities are achievable under a variety of climate-relevant relative humidities and temperatures.

Research Details

• Verified the phase transition of TriH in air by in situ PXRD and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy
• Breakthrough anlyses show that TriH captures CO₂ with 4.55 to 8.89 mmol/g capacities between 20-80% RH and 10-40 °C
• DFT reveals that water assists CO₂ addition by forming hydrogen bonds and facilitiating intermolecular proton transfer

Publication Details

A. J. Huang, A. K. Gupta, H. Z. H. Jiang, H. Zhuang, M. B. Wenny, R. A. Klein, H. Kwon, K. R. Meihaus, H. Furukawa, C. M. Brown, J. A. Reimer, W. A. de Jong, J. R. Long,  Journal of the American Chemical Society (2025).

DOI:10.1021/jacs.4c18643

Work was performed at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab,  Advanced Light Source, and the Advanced Photon Source.