Postsynthetic amine modification of porous organic polymers for CO2 capture and separation

Porous organic polymers (POPs) constitute an important class of sorbents studied in various adsorption and separation processes. Their unique properties, including high surface areas, adjustable pore sizes, and surface chemistries make them ideal candidates for CO2 capture. To achieve a high CO2 adsorption capacity and selectivity, particularly at the low partition pressures required for post-combustion CO2 capture or direct capture of CO2 from the atmosphere, incorporating amines onto the polymer frameworks or within the pores has shown much promise. This review provides a comprehensive summary of recent studies on the synthesis and CO2 capture performance of amine-functionalized POPs. The review also provides a detailed discussion of structure-performance relationships, focusing on how the loading amount and amine type influence CO2 capture capacity, CO2/N2 selectivity, heat of adsorption, sorption kinetics, and recyclability of POPs. Additionally, the authors offer their perspective on the challenges associated with the practical implementation of amine-modified POPs for CO2 capture.