A method and apparatus for extracting CO.sub.2 from air comprising an anion exchange material formed in a matrix exposed to a flow of the air, and for delivering that extracted CO.sub.2 to controlled environments. The present invention contemplates the extraction of CO2 from air using conventional extraction methods or by using one of the extraction methods disclosed; e.g., humidity swing or electro dialysis. The present invention also provides delivery of the CO.sub.2 to greenhouses where increased levels of CO.sub.2 will improve conditions for growth. Alternatively, the CO.sub.2 is fed to an algae culture.

A method of capturing a target species from a gas comprises the steps of: contacting a gas containing a target species with a first absorbent solution comprising a capture species; dissolving the target species in the first absorbent solution to form a target anion; electrochemically separating the target anion from the first absorbent solution by contacting the first absorbent solution with one or more ion-exchange membranes, and transferring the target anion through an ion-exchange membrane into a second absorbent solution; and releasing at least some of the target species from the second absorbent solution. The one or more ion-exchange membranes are not permeable to the capture species, so the capture species does not pass through the one or more ion-exchange membranes. An apparatus for capturing a target species from a gas is also provided.

Provided are a carbon dioxide absorbent including an ionic liquid including a choline-based cation and a phenolate-based anion, and an aliphatic alcohol, and a method of separating carbon dioxide using the same. Since the carbon dioxide absorbent of the present disclosure is thermally and chemically stable, it may decrease by-products released into the atmosphere and thus, is environmentally friendly. The method of separating carbon dioxide using the absorbent is an economical method which allows energy saving with low renewable energy.

A transformational energy efficient technology using ionic liquid (IL) to couple with monoethanolamine (MEA) for catalytic CO.sub.2 capture is disclosed. [EMmim.sup.+][NTF.sub.2.sup.] based catalysts are rationally synthesized and used for CO.sub.2 capture with MEA. A catalytic CO.sub.2 capture mechanism is disclosed according to experimental and computational studies on the [EMmim.sup.+][NTF.sub.2.sup.] for the reversible CO.sub.2 sorption and desorption.

A carbon-capture device and related processes are disclosed. The devices include substrate surfaces having a textured surfaces and a liquid sorbent contacting the texture surface in either a Cassie-Baxter state, in the case of a texture omniphobic surface or a plurality of re-entrant features or a Wenzel state, in the case of a textured omniphilic surface. The liquid sorbent reversibly captures a chemical species, which can usefully be carbon dioxide. This reversible capture can be exploited to capture and sequester carbon or other chemical species of interest.

A contaminant removal system includes a contaminant desorption system and two or more contaminant sorption systems. The contaminant desorption system includes at least one stripper configured to desorb one or more contaminants from a liquid sorbent. The one or more contaminants include at least carbon dioxide. Each contaminant sorption system includes at least one scrubber and a liquid sorbent circuit. Each scrubber is configured to absorb the one or more contaminants from an air stream into the liquid sorbent. The liquid sorbent circuit is configured to circulate the liquid sorbent between the at least one scrubber and the at least one stripper of the contaminant desorption system.

A composition for absorbing carbon dioxide including an ionic liquid (A) containing a cation and an anion, and a protic compound (B) having a relative permittivity at 25 C. of 20 or more, wherein the cation at least includes a cation represented by the formula (1), the anion includes an anion where an acid dissociation constant (pKa) at 25 C. of its conjugate acid in water is 4.5 or more, and the ratio of a value obtained by multiplying the number of hydroxyl groups of the protic compound (B) by the number of moles of the protic compound (B) to the number of moles of the ionic liquid (A) [number of moles of protic compound (B)/number of moles of ionic liquid (A)] is 0.2 to 1.0:

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each independently represent a hydrogen or a C1-C6 linear alkyl group.

Sulfur species may be processed using an ionic liquid, a deep eutectic solvent, or a combination of both. An example of a method of such processing may include: supplying a first reaction medium including an iodine species and a first catalyst, wherein the first catalyst includes a first deep eutectic solvent, a first ionic liquid, or a first mixture of both; contacting the reaction medium with a first sulfur species, wherein the first sulfur species includes hydrogen sulfide, a sulfur-containing hydrocarbon, or any combination thereof; and reacting the first sulfur species with the reaction medium to produce a second sulfur species, hydrogen iodide, or a combination thereof.

Provided herein are composite materials having an expanded porous membrane and a poly(ionic liquids)(PILs) which exhibit superior performance properties including high CO2 absorption, CO.sub.2 permeability and CO.sub.2/N.sub.2 selectivity in combination with desirable mechanical properties such as being thin, strong, moisture and temperature resistant, and having flexibility, strength, and durability, laminates and articles including the composites, and processes for manufacture of the composites.

The invention relates to methods for regenerating a used sorbent having a gas adsorbate adsorbed thereto. In particular, the used sorbent comprises liquid marbles. The liquid in the liquid marbles is comprised of a material or mixture of materials that selectively removes unwanted gaseous component in the gas to be purified.