RAFT-Derived κ-Carrageenan-Based Polymers and Ionic Covalent Organic Polymers for CO2 Adsorption

Scalable carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology urgently requires new materials to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. This thesis develops sustainable CO₂ adsorbents from κ-carrageenan (κC), a polysaccharide derived from a highly diverse and naturally abundant resource - red seaweed. Functionalizing κC with copolymers that contained CO2-reactive tertiary amine groups, prepared by the reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) process, allowed CO2 uptake. The work also investigates structure-property relationships within ionic covalent organic polymers (iCOPs). This research aims to contribute to the necessary expansion of material options for effective and large-scale carbon capture technologies, supporting global climate mitigation efforts.