Pursuit of high-performance carbon capture membranes: fabrication of nickel oxide-doped polyethersulfone-based mixed matrix membranes

Separation of carbon dioxide from post-combustion flue gases is essential not only to mitigate global warming issues, but also to recover valuable carbon sources emitted from flue gases. Isotropic dense membranes of thermoplastic polyether sulfone impregnated with varied concentrations of nickel oxide nanoparticles were fabricated via solution casting with phase inversion techniques. Structural, morphological, thermal, and carbon capture characteristics of prepared membranes were appraised through state-of-the-art characterization techniques. The chemical and structural features of membranes were quantified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Morphological attributes like surface topography, cross-sectional view, filler dispersal, and filler matrix adhesion were assessed via micrographs taken by scanning electron microscopy. Characteristic temperatures and thermal stability of mixed membranes were analyzed by performing tests on thermo-gravimetric analyzer. The carbon capture efficiency of developed membranes was estimated by performing gas permeation experiments on an indigenously built gas permeation setup.