CO2-Responsive Copolymers for Membrane Applications, Synthesis, and Performance Evaluation

The urgent need to mitigate climate change has spurred research into innovative carbon dioxide (CO2) capture materials. In this study, the design and synthesis of CO2-responsive diblock copolymers, poly (N-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]-acrylamide)-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PDMAPAm-b-PMMA) are focused on via a two-step reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization as well as the application of the synthesized diblock copolymer as a membrane for CO2 capture. The resulting diblock copolymer possesses distinct blocks with varying properties. The poly (N-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]-acrylamide) (PDMAPAm) block provides CO2-responsive behavior, while the poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) block contributes to mechanical stability. The gas transport properties of the fabricated thin-film composite membrane made of PDMAPAm-b-PMMA are measured. It is determined that the copolymer exhibits dual responsiveness towards CO2 and can be tailored for use in fabrication of membranes for direct air capture (DAC).