Carbon dioxide capture and conversion by an environmentally friendly chitosan based meso-tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl) porphyrin.

We have demonstrated the facile, environmentally friendly and sustainable preparation of chitosan based meso-tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin (CS-TPPS) for adsorption and catalytic conversion of carbon-dioxide (CO2). The ionic complexation between chitosan (CS) and meso-tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin (TPPS) is confirmed by ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Physical properties, such as crystallinity, thermal stability, surface morphology and porosity were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy and BET isotherm analysis. CS-TPPS shows adsorption capacity of 0.9mmol CO2/g compared to the adsorption capacity of 0.05mmol CO2/g of pure chitosan and an adsorption capacity of 0.2mmol CO2/g of pure TPPS. It also exhibits higher conversion of CO2 and propylene oxide into cyclic carbonate (66%), compared to pure chitosan (31%). The results are encouraging, and may open new perspectives for the use of biopolymers involving porphyrin based material in environmental and industrial applications.