Phys.org July 6, 2023
Mica, a commonly occurring mineral, has significant potential for various applications due to its unique structure and properties. However, due to its non-Van Der Waals bonded structure, it is difficult to exfoliate mica into ultrathin nanosheets. Researchers in Singapore characterized exfoliated 2D mica nanosheets (eMica nanosheets) by various techniques, and their ability to capture CO2 was tested by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Their results showed an 87% increase in CO2 adsorption capacity with eMica nanosheets compared to conventional mica. Further characterization by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), as well as first-principles calculations, showed that the high specific surface area and deposited K2CO3 layer contributed to the increased CO2 adsorption on the mica nanosheets. According to the researchers their process shows the potential to open new avenues for the development of CO2 capture technologies… read more. Open Access TECHNICALÂ ARTICLEÂ
(a) CO2 chemisorption on mica monolayer and form K2CO3 and CO2 physisorption on formed K2CO3…. Credit: Credit:Â Journals Materials, Volume 16, Issue 7, 2023