Biocatalyzed Accelerated Post-combustion CO₂ Capture and Stripping in Monoethanolamine

The existing solvent-mediated CO₂ capture process is energy-intensive as a result of the high-temperature requirement for solvent regeneration. Therefore, improvement of solvent systems for optimized and low-energy-intensive CO₂ capture and desorption is of enormous interest. In this regard, we report a novel matrix composed of ZnO/Fe₂O₃-encapsulated mesoporous silica-tethered thermostable carbonic anhydrase (CA) (designated as CA@fn-Zn/Fe/MS). The enzyme-coupled matrix was used for efficient post-combustion CO₂ capture and low-energy-intensive desorption. It was observed that the use of CA@fn-Zn/Fe/MS (0.5 wt %) in 30% monoethanolamine (MEA) enhances the CO₂ uptake to 0.82 mol/mol of solvent and the regeneration efficiency by 2.6 times compared to neat MEA at 30 wt %. The enzyme-coupled matrix is stable over a broad range of pH and can be used for several cycles. The development adds value to improve conventional amine-based CO₂ scrubbing technology.