Investigation on the Amino Acid-Assisted CO2 Hydrates: A Promising Step Toward Hydrate-based Decarbonization

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a promising method for reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, while the use of fossil fuels is still needed. A hydrate-based technology has gained attention for CCS applications since it provides various advantages, particularly in terms of energy efficiency. However, the slow kinetics of CO2 hydrate formation without promoters has been a challenge for CCS on an industrial scale. In this study, amino acids including leucine, methionine, and valine were used as promoters to investigate their effect on the CO2 hydrate formation using a hybrid combinatorial reactor (HCR) configuration. The amino acids were tested at different concentrations. The results showed that the addition of amino acids had varying effects on CO2 hydrate formation kinetics. The highest rate of hydrate formation was observed in the methionine system. The amino acids and their concentrations had no significant impact on the gas uptake or the conversion of water to hydrates. All systems displayed a similar pattern of hydrate formation morphology. There was no foam formation during the hydrate dissociation, and the hydrate reformed in the reused solution had almost the same gas uptake as the fresh solution. Overall, the use of amino acids with the HCR approach may be a promising option for CCS applications.