Arginine containing chitosan-graphene oxide aerogels for highly efficient carbon capture and fixation

Carbon dioxide (CO2) gas is the main greenhouse gas and is primarily responsible for global warming and climate change. The greatest challenge in contemporary environmental research is reducing anthropogenic CO2 gas in the atmosphere by developing effective and efficient materials and control methods. We propose chitosan–graphene oxide and arginine-based aerogels for CO2 capture and fixation characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The chitosan-based aerogel was used as a CO2 adsorbent and its CO2 gas adsorption capacity was measured using the TGA method on its solid surface. The CO2 gas adsorption was equal to 24.15 wt% (5.48 mmolg-1) at 35 °C for 35 min. Chitosan–graphene oxide and arginine-based aerogels exhibited a much higher CO2 capture capacity than that of pure chitosan. Chitosan–graphene oxide and arginine-based aerogels were used as catalysts for the insertion of CO2 into organic molecules leading to the formation of new organic molecules with the help of a cocatalyst. The fixation of CO2 with epoxide was observed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Thus, our findings can aid in reducing anthropogenic CO2 gas from the atmosphere by synthesizing new organic compounds using anthropogenic CO2.