The AEROPILs Generation: Novel Poly(Ionic Liquid)-Based Aerogels for CO2 Capture

CO2 levels in the atmosphere are increasing exponentially. The current climate change effects motivate an urgent need for new and sustainable materials to capture CO2. Porous materials are particularly interesting for processes that take place near atmospheric pressure. However, materials design should not only consider the morphology, but also the chemical identity of the CO2 sorbent to enhance the affinity towards CO2. Poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) can enhance CO2 sorption capacity, but tailoring the porosity is still a challenge. Aerogel’s properties grant production strategies that ensure a porosity control. In this work, we joined both worlds, PILs and aerogels, to produce a sustainable CO2 sorbent. PIL-chitosan aerogels (AEROPILs) in the form of beads were successfully obtained with high porosity (94.6–97.0%) and surface areas (270–744 m2/g). AEROPILs were applied for the first time as CO2 sorbents. The combination of PILs with chitosan aerogels generally increased the CO2 sorption capability of these materials, being the maximum CO2 capture capacity obtained (0.70 mmol g−1, at 25 °C and 1 bar) for the CHT:P[DADMA]Cl30%AEROPIL.