Membranes constructed with zero-dimension carbon quantum dots for CO2 separation

CO2 capture technology provides a straightforward and facile access to address the issue of climate change caused by CO2 emissions from human activities. Membranes separation as a robust strategy can selectively remove CO2 from natural gas and the flue gas of power plants with high economic and practical benefits. Herein, a novel separation membrane based on zero-dimension carbon quantum dots (CQDs) through a simple preparation process for CO2 capture was developed. The CQD membranes with thickness of 100–200 nm upon the substrate show high separation factor in gas separation. The optimal separation factors for CO2/N2 and CO2/CH4 are up to 81.5 and 94.3 at room temperature, respectively. The permeation process was closely associated with the adsorption and desorption of CO2 as well as the size sieving effect. The CQDs membrane represents an alternative and highly efficient method for CO2 capture.