Liquid marble-derived solid-liquid hybrid superparticles for CO(2) capture

The design of effective CO(2) capture materials is an ongoing challenge. Here we report a concept to overcome current limitations associated with both liquid and solid CO(2) capture materials by exploiting a solid-liquid hybrid superparticle (SLHSP). The fabrication of SLHSP involves assembly of hydrophobic silica nanoparticles on the liquid marble surface, and co-assembly of hydrophilic silica nanoparticles and tetraethylenepentamine within the interior of the liquid marble. The strong interfacial adsorption force and the strong interactions between amine and silica are identified to be key elements for high robustness. The developed SLHSPs exhibit excellent CO(2) sorption capacity, high sorption rate, long-term stability and reduced amine loss in industrially preferred fixed bed setups. The outstanding performances are attributed to the unique structure which hierarchically organizes the liquid and solid at microscales.