FURI | Spring 2025

Enhanced Reprocessabilty of Carbon Capture Adsorbents Through Dynamic Covalent Networks

Excessive global CO2 emissions from human activities threaten worsening meteorological patterns, rising sea levels, and increasing global temperatures. While extensive carbon capture research exists to provide near-term solutions — most popularly, amine-based sorbents — there is a surprising lack of research on the reprocessability of sorbents after their lifespan. This project focuses on utilizing dynamic covalent crosslinks between two monomers (branched polyethylenimine and 2-(Methacryloyloxy)ethyl acetoacetate) — i.e., a vinylogous urethane scheme — to demonstrate a reprocessable polymer adsorbent. Dynamic covalent networks exhibit strong cross-linkage strength and chemical reversibility, which provides a promising basis for reprocessable adsorbents and more sustainable long-term carbon capture technologies.