Nano engineered ZIF-8 and Zeolite 13X Composites with Deep Eutectic Solvents for Environmental Remediation

Abstract

This thesis explores the impregnation of Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) into Zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8) and Zeolite 13X to evaluate their CO2 adsorption. Three DESs were used: Choline Chloride: Monoethanolamine (ChCl:MEA) 1:6, 1:7, and 1:8 at three different loadings of 10%, 20%, and 30%. The DES-impregnated samples were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to assess changes in morphology, crystallinity and chemical functionalization. The results revealed that the highest CO2 adsorption was obtained for 20% loaded ChCl-MEA(1:6)/ZIF-8 sample (1.107 mmol/g). However, the other samples showed a reduction in CO2 adsorption values as the loading of the DES increased. In addition, zeolite 13X exhibited a significant increase in CO2/N2 selectivity (356.16 compared to 28.17 for pure 13X) at 20% ChClMEA (1:6) loading. These findings suggest that DES impregnation can tailor the adsorption properties of the samples as expected. However, excessive loading of DES leads to pore blockage and reduces CO2 uptake. Future work should investigate the CO2 adsorption behavior at lower pressures.

Date of Award	8 May 2025
Original language	American English
Supervisor	Ali Alhammadi (Supervisor)