It is agreed that reducing CO2 emissions is a necessary step for a sustainable world; therefore, a great deal of research attention has been given to designing materials to capture CO2. Postcombustion capture methods, which separate CO2 from flue gas after energy generation, are considered the most �marketable technology�. The main challenges of this method are in the separation of gas, high flow rate, and low partial pressure. A porous carbon framework, called biochar, has received attention for its ability to remove contaminants, sequester carbon in soils, and concurrently improve soil quality. Biochar does not require activation, can be produced from waste biomass, is 10x cheaper than AC, and is environmentally friendly. The surface properties of biochar give it excellent potential for CO2 capture because not only do they tend to be polar and hydrophilic, but the extensive micropores allow biochar to achieve comparatively high surface area-to-weight ratios.The overarching objective of this work is to determine biochar's potential as a framework for the capture of CO2. A preliminary study, which assessed the adsorption of CO2 by two commonly used biochars through slow pyrolysis at 3 low temperatures showed that biochar is a promising framework for adsorption of CO2. Although CO2 weakly sorbs to the surface of the char, the large surface area allows it to be among the highest of physical adsorbents. My group has developed several methods to modify biochar with chitosan, metal oxyhydroxide nanoparticles, layered double hydroxides, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and clay nanoparticles. This study predicts that these engineered pyrogenic carbonaceous materials will enhance bonding and functional group attraction with CO2.

CO<sub>2</sub> capture using engineered biochar

248th National Meeting (2014)

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CO2 capture using engineered biochar

CO₂ capture using engineered biochar