Debra Fernandes

Toward the Understanding of Chemical Absorption Processes for Post-Combustion Capture of Carbon Dioxide: Electronic and Steric Considerations from the Kinetics of Reactions of CO2(aq) with Sterically hindered Amines

The present study reports (a) the determination of both the kinetic rate constants and equilibrium constants for the reaction of CO(2)(aq) with sterically hindered amines and (b) an attempt to elucidate a fundamental chemical understanding of the relationship between the amine structure and chemical properties of the amine that are relevant for postcombustion capture of CO(2) (PCC) applications. The reactions of CO(2)(aq) with a series of linear and methyl substituted primary amines and alkanolamines have been investigated using stopped-flow spectrophotometry and (1)H NMR measurements at 25.0 °C. The specific mechanism of absorption for each of the amines, that is CO(2) hydration and/or carbamate formation, is examined and, based on the mechanism, the kinetic and equilibrium constants for the formation of carbamic acid/carbamates, including protonation constants of the carbamate, are reported for amines that follow this pathway. A Brønsted correlation relating the kinetic rate constants and equilibrium constants for the formation of carbamic acid/carbamates with the protonation constant of the amine is reported. Such a relationship facilitates an understanding of the effects of steric and electronic properties of the amine toward its reactivity with CO(2). Further, such relationships can be used to guide the design of new amines with improved properties relevant to PCC applications.

Toward rational design of amine solutions for PCC applications: the kinetics of the reaction of CO2(aq) with cyclic and secondary amines in aqueous solution.

The kinetics of the fast reversible carbamate formation reaction of CO(2)(aq) with a series of substituted cyclic secondary amines as well as the noncyclic secondary amine diethanolamine (DEA) has been investigated using the stopped-flow spectrophotometric technique at 25.0 °C. The kinetics of the slow parallel reversible reaction between HCO(3)(-) and amine has also been determined for a number of the amines by (1)H NMR spectroscopy at 25.0 °C. The rate of the reversible reactions and the equilibrium constants for the formation of carbamic acid/carbamate from the reactions of CO(2) and HCO(3)(-) with the amines are reported. In terms of the forward reaction of CO(2)(aq) with amine, the order with increasing rate constants is as follows: diethanolamine (DEA) < morpholine (MORP) ~ thiomorpholine (TMORP) < N-methylpiperazine (N-MPIPZ) < 4-piperidinemethanol (4-PIPDM) ~ piperidine (PIPD) < pyrrolidine (PYR). Both 2-piperidinemethanol (2-PIPDM) and 2-piperidineethanol (2-PIPDE) do not form carbamates. For the carbamate forming amines a Brønsted correlation relating the protonation constant of the amine to the carbamic acid formation rate and equilibrium constants at 25.0 °C has been established. The overall suitability of an amine for PCC in terms of kinetics and energy is discussed.

Reactions of CO2 with Aqueous Piperazine Solutions: Formation and Decomposition of Mono- and Dicarbamic Acids/Carbamates of Piperazine at 25.0 °C

Piperazine (PZ) is widely recognized as a promising solvent for postcombustion capture (PCC) of carbon dioxide (CO(2)). In view of the highly conflicting data describing the kinetic reactions of CO(2)(aq) in piperazine solutions, the present study focuses on the identification of the chemical mechanism, specifically the kinetic pathways for CO(2)(aq) in piperazine solutions that form the mono- and dicarbamates, using the analysis of stopped-flow spectrophotometric kinetic measurements and (1)H NMR spectroscopic data at 25.0 °C. The complete set of rate and equilibrium constants for the kinetic pathways, including estimations for the protonation constants of the suite of piperazine carbamates/carbamic acids, is reported here using an extended kinetic model which incorporates all possible reactions for CO(2)(aq) in piperazine solutions. From the kinetic data determined in the present study, the reaction of CO(2)(aq) with free PZ was found to be the dominant reactive pathway. The superior reactivity of piperazine is confirmed in the kinetic rate constant determined for the formation of piperazine monocarbamic acid (k(7) = 2.43(3) × 10(4) M(-1) s(-1)), which is within the wide range of published values, making it one of the faster reacting amines. The corresponding equilibrium constant for the formation of the monocarbamic acid, K(7), markedly exceeds that of other monoamines. Kinetic and equilibrium constants for the remaining pathways indicate a minor contribution to the overall kinetics at high pH; however, these pathways may become more significant at higher CO(2) loadings and lower pH values where the concentrations of the reactive species are correspondingly higher.

Activation Volumes for the Hydration Reactions of Carbon Dioxide

The hydration of CO2(aq) via reaction with H2O and OH– has been investigated using a high-pressure stopped flow apparatus, and the relevant rate constants for the reactions have been determined using a global analysis approach. The joint analysis of a series of kinetic measurements, for the formation and decomposition reactions, at a range of pressures from 400 to 1000 atm has been performed, and from the pressure dependence of the rate constants, the corresponding activation volume profiles determined for the two kinetic pathways. While a previous report exists for the hydration reaction with water, to our knowledge the activation volumes for the reaction of CO2 with hydroxide in this paper are the first to be reported in the literature. The extensive measurement data and robustness of the analysis approach, which additionally incorporates into, and corrects for, the effect of ionic strength on the kinetic data, positions the current data as the most reliable to date.