Efficient catalytic regeneration of amine-based solvents in CO2 capture: A comprehensive meta-analysis

Numerous review papers on solid acid catalyst-based energy-efficient CO2 desorption in solvent regeneration have been published; however, a comprehensive statistical analyzes of the catalytic solvent regeneration has not been investigated yet. This study aims to provide a systematic meta-analysis of the most pertinent studies conducted between 2017-2023 on CO2 desorption and heat duty reduction in catalytic solvent regeneration. After the selection criteria narrowed the number of 4,520 publications that initially matched the keywords to 43 research papers for detailed review and data extraction. Meta-analysis was conducted by the random-effects model using various packages of R and R Studio software. Fourteen types of solvents were found to be applied with three groups: single MEA, MEA blends, and solvents other than MEA. The catalysts' activity in enhancing CO2 desorption was in the sequence: carbon rich materials > metal oxides > organic frameworks > molecular sieves > composite materials > clay minerals. Different levels of time, temperature, CO2 loading, and catalysts to solvent ratio were found to be significant in CO2 desorption. The catalyst characteristics including mesoporous surface area, total surface area, pore diameter, microporous surface area, total acidity, and B/L ratio influenced CO2 desorption. For relative heat duty of solvent regeneration, Lewis acid sites and B/L ratio were found to be significant. This study offers the first systematic enquiry and a detailed statistical analysis to support future research on sustainable approaches for solid acid catalysts synthesis to enhance CO2 capture.