The AEROPILs Generation: Novel Poly(Ionic Liquid)-Based Aerogels for CO 2 Capture.

CO 2 levels in the atmosphere are increasing exponentially. The current climate change effects motivate an urgent need for new and sustainable materials to capture CO 2 . Porous materials are particularly interesting for processes that take place near atmospheric pressure. However, materials design should not only consider the morphology, but also the chemical identity of the CO 2 sorbent to enhance the affinity towards CO 2 . Poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) can enhance CO 2 sorption capacity, but tailoring the porosity is still a challenge. Aerogel's properties grant production strategies that ensure a porosity control. In this work, we joined both worlds, PILs and aerogels, to produce a sustainable CO 2 sorbent. PIL-chitosan aerogels ( AEROPILs ) in the form of beads were successfully obtained with high porosity (94.6-97.0%) and surface areas (270-744 m 2 /g). AEROPILs were applied for the first time as CO 2 sorbents. The combination of PILs with chitosan aerogels generally increased the CO 2 sorption capability of these materials, being the maximum CO 2 capture capacity obtained (0.70 mmol g -1 , at 25 °C and 1 bar) for the CHT:P[DADMA]Cl 30% AEROPIL .