Adsorption, regeneration and interaction of CO2 with a polythiophene–carbon mesocomposite

Polythiophene–mesoporous carbon (PTP–OMC) mesocomposite with polythiophene (PTP) chains encapsulated in the pore channels of ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) has been synthesized. Composite formation and the presence of PTP inside the pore channels of OMC were evidenced by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms. PTP–OMC mesocomposite was investigated for CO2 adsorption, which shows maximum adsorption capacity of 120 mg/g of sorbent at 25 °C. The heat of reaction and energy of adsorption were calculated from differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and the CO2-temperature programmed desorption (CO2-TPD) respectively. This PTP–OMC is a green, tunable, regenerable and recyclable CO2 sorbent. Finally, the use of rice husk silica solution extracted from rice husk ash and complete carbonization of surface directing agent adds value to this study.