Electrically Conductive Amine Functionalized Reduced Graphite Oxide Foam for CO2 Removal from the Air

Song, MinGyu; Kim, Jaedeok; Jones, Christopher W.; Lively, Ryan P.

doi:10.1021/acsami.5c15229

Electrically Conductive Amine Functionalized Reduced Graphite Oxide Foam for CO₂ Removal from the Air

Journal Article · Tue Nov 18 00:00:00 EST 2025 · ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5c15229· OSTI ID:3007565

Song, MinGyu ^[1]; Kim, Jaedeok ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]

Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)

Rapid regeneration of CO₂ adsorbents is critical to improving the productivity of direct air capture (DAC) systems. In this study, we codesigned a material to have appropriate electrical conductivity and CO₂ adsorption properties to enable efficient CO₂ capture from air. Specifically, we present a poly(ethylenimine) (PEI)-impregnated thermally annealed graphite oxide (TAGO900) foam adsorbent tailored for vacuum-assisted electrically driven thermal swing adsorption (V-ETSA). This structured adsorbent leverages the high electrical conductivity of the reduced graphite oxide framework to enable fast and direct heating of the adsorbent material by electrical resistance heating (Joule heating). An optimal sample, 40 wt % PEI (molecular weight 25k) impregnated TAGO900, shows the best balance between adsorption capacity (1.54 mmol g^–1) and adsorption rates (0.016 mmol g^–1 min^–1) using fixed bed breakthrough experiments at 25 °C and 70% RH using 50 sccm 400 ppm of CO₂/N₂ flow. Compared to conventional temperature vacuum swing adsorption (TVSA), the V-ETSA approach achieves substantially faster CO₂ desorption, achieving average desorption rates (including cooling time) of 0.09 mmol g^–1 min^–1─approximately 2.5 times faster than TVSA under similar operating conditions. The maximum desorption rate reaches 0.23 mmol/g/min during the desorption stage. These results underscore the importance of the direct heating strategy, such as Joule heating, for fast and highly productive vacuum swing adsorption in DAC systems.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0012577

Other Award/Contract Number:: ECCS-2025462

OSTI ID:: 3007565

Journal Information:: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, Journal Name: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces Journal Issue: 48 Vol. 17; ISSN 1944-8244; ISSN 1944-8252

Publisher:: American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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