Vapor-Phase-Infiltrated AlO_x/PIM-1 “Hybrid Scaffolds” as Solution-Processable Amine Supports for CO₂ Adsorption

Energy-efficient adsorptive CO2 capture requires both adsorbent materials with high CO2 capacity and structured adsorption contactors possessing fast mass transfer kinetics and low pressure drop. The state-of-the-art research primarily focuses on “hard” adsorbents such as mesoporous zeolites and metal–organic frameworks, which exhibit high CO2 capacities but are challenging to translate into structured contactors. Polymer of intrinsic microporosity 1 (PIM-1), a solution-processable microporous polymer, is a “softer” alternative that can be easily fabricated into structured adsorption contactors. In prior research, PIM-1 has been utilized as a “molecular basket” for poly(ethylene imine) (PEI). Despite nanoscale amine dispersion and excellent processability, PEI/PIM-1 composites possess an unstable micropore structure, which collapses at high PEI loadings (∼30%) and results in lower CO2 adsorption capacity than PEI-loaded hard oxides. Here, we applied a post-fabrication polymer stabilization method, vapor phase infiltration (VPI), to improve the CO2 capacity of the PEI/PIM-1 composite without sacrificing its processibility. PIM-1 is fabricated into structured adsorption contactors and then reinforced with amorphous aluminum oxyhydroxide (AlOx) nanostrands via VPI. The resulting AlOx/PIM-1 is a stable, hierarchically porous support, which can be loaded with 40% PEI without pore collapse. Owing to the combination of processibility, comparable CO2 capacity, and high amine efficiency, PEI/AlOx/PIM-1 composites are a promising alternative to PEI-loaded mesoporous oxides.