CO2 absorption and desorption in an aqueous solution of heavily hindered alkanolamine: structural elucidation of CO2-containing species.

The pathways for the CO2 absorption and desorption in an aqueous solution of a heavily hindered alkanolamine, 2-(t-butylamino)ethanol (TBAE) were elucidated by X-ray crystallographic and (13)C NMR spectroscopic analysis. In the early stage of the CO2 absorption, the formation of carbonate species ([TBAEH]2CO3) was predominant, along with the generation of small amounts of zwitterionic species. With the progress of the absorption, the carbonate species was rapidly transformed into bicarbonate species ([TBAEH]HCO3), and the amounts of the zwitterionic species increased gradually. During desorption at elevated temperature in the absence of CO2, [TBAEH]HCO3 was found to transform into [TBAEH]2CO3, where CO3(2-) strongly interacts with two [TBAEH](+) via hydrogen bondings.

Selective removal of acetylenes from olefin mixtures through specific physicochemical interactions of ionic liquids with acetylenes.

Imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs) bearing an alkylphosphite anion, were highly efficient for the selective removal of acetylenes in olefins. Comparison of solubility data at 313 K and at atmospheric pressure shows that the solubilities of acetylene and propyne in 1,3-dimethylimidazolium methylphosphite ([DMIM][MeHPO(3)]) are about 45 and 20 times higher than those of ethylene and propylene, respectively. Computational and (1)H NMR results clearly demonstrate that there are substantial interactions between the acidic hydrogen atom or atoms of acetylenes and the phosphite anion.