Nano-structure supported solid regenerative polyamine and polyamine polyol absorbents for the separation of carbon dioxide from gas mixtures including the air

1. A solid carbon dioxide sorbent for absorbing carbon dioxide from a gas mixture and which is capable of releasing the absorbed carbon dioxide when treated for regeneration, the sorbent comprising an amine in an amount of at least 25% by weight of the sorbent and nano-sized solid particles having a primary particle size that is less than about 100 nm for providing structural integrity and support for the amine and a high surface area for amine-gas contact.

2. The sorbent according to claim 1 , wherein the nano-structured support is a nanosilica, silica-alumina and the like fumed or precipitated oxide, calcium silicate, carbon nanotube, or mixture thereof.

3. The sorbent according to claim 1 , wherein the amine is a primary, secondary, or tertiary amine or alkanolamine, aromatic amine, or mixtures or combinations thereof.

4. The sorbent according to claim 1 , wherein the amine is monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA), methyldiethanolamine, 2-(2-aminoethylamino)-ethanol, diisopropanolamine, 2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, triethanolamine, tetraethylenepentamine, pentaethylenehexamine, or polyethyleneimine.

5. The sorbent according to claim 4 , wherein the amine is a linear or branched polyethyleneimine having a molecular weight greater than 600.

6. The sorbent according to claim 1 , in which the amine is present in an amount of about 25% to 75% by weight of the sorbent.

7. The sorbent according to claim 1 , which further comprises a polyol in an amount up to about 25% by weight of the sorbent.

8. The sorbent according to claim 7 , wherein the polyol is selected from the group consisting of glycerol, oligomers of ethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, polyethylene oxides, and ethers, modifications and mixtures thereof.

9. The sorbent according to claim 1 , wherein the nano-sized particles are nanosilica, the amine is polyethyleneimine in an amount of about 25% to 75% by weight of the sorbent, and the sorbent further comprises polyethylene glycol in an amount up to 25% by weight of the sorbent.

10. The sorbent according to claim 1 , which releases absorbed carbon dioxide when treated for regeneration.

11. The sorbent according to claim 10 , wherein the sorbent is treated with sufficient heat, reduced pressure, vacuum, gas purge, or a combination thereof to release a substantial amount or all the absorbed carbon dioxide.

12. A method for preparing the sorbent of claim 1 , which comprises dispersing the nano-sized particles in a solvent to form a suspension;

dissolving the amine in the solvent to form an amine solution; combining the suspension and the amine solution; and removing the solvent to form the sorbent.

13. The method according to claim 12 , which further comprises adding a polyol in the amine solution or the suspension before combining the solution and the suspension.

14. The method according to claim 12 , which further comprises adding a polyol to the suspension; drying the suspension after the addition of the polyol to form a supported polyol; dispersing the supported polyol in the solvent; and combining the dispersed supported polyol and the amine solution prior to removing the solvent to form the sorbent.

15. A method for continuously capturing and separating carbon dioxide from a gas mixture with a sorbent, which comprises exposing the sorbent according to claim 1 to the gas mixture to effect absorption of carbon dioxide by the sorbent and treating the sorbent that contains absorbed or entrapped carbon dioxide to release a substantial amount or all the absorbed carbon dioxide.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the sorbent is provided in a fixed, moving, or fluidized bed and the gas and bed are in contact for a sufficient time to trap the carbon dioxide in the sorbent.

17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the sorbent is treated with sufficient heat, reduced pressure, vacuum, gas purge, or a combination thereof to release the absorbed carbon dioxide.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the sorbent is treated when up to 90% of the amine is complexed with carbon dioxide.

19. The method according to claim 15 , which further comprises reacting the released carbon dioxide to form useful products.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein carbon dioxide is used to produce methanol by (a) electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide in water or (b) reducing carbon dioxide under conditions sufficient to produce an intermediate compound and catalytically hydrogenating the intermediate compound with hydrogen under conditions sufficient to form methanol.

21. The method according to claim 20 , wherein the intermediate compound is methyl formate.

22. The method according to claim 19 , which further comprises reducing the carbon dioxide under conditions sufficient to carbon monoxide, reacting the carbon monoxide with methanol under conditions sufficient to obtain methyl formate, and catalytically hydrogenating the methyl formate under conditions sufficient to produce methanol.

23. The method according to claim 19 , which further comprises dehydrating the methanol under conditions sufficient to produce dimethyl ether.

24. The method according to claim 23 , which further comprises heating the dimethyl ether in the presence of an acidic-basic or zeolitic catalyst under conditions sufficient to form ethylene and/or propylene.

25. The method according to claim 24 , which further comprises converting the ethylene and/or propylene under conditions sufficient to higher olefins, a synthetic hydrocarbons, aromatics, or a product produced therefrom, for use as a feedstock for chemicals or as transportation fuel.

26. The method according to claim 24 , which further comprises hydrating the ethylene or propylene under conditions sufficient to form ethanol or propanol.