| Novel sorbent materials with high capacities, low energies of regeneration, and long-term chemical stability are of particular importance in a variety of engineering processes. The work in this thesis examines the synthesis techniques and pore characteristics on ordered mesoporous silica supports, MCM-41 and SBA-15, impregnated by the conventional ionic liquid (IL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethyl-sulfonyl)imide. Interestingly, mixed solvent use was discovered to overcome IL pore diffusion limitations in the relatively small pores of MCM-41. It is also established that SBA-15 as a support does not display the IL pore diffusion due to the larger pore diameters. The isothermal gas adsorption of CO2, n-hexane, and water are reported for these novel composites.;The second portion of this work reports the synthesis and characterization of SBA-15 impregnated with two task-specific ionic liquids (TSILs) for target gas capture. The task-specific ionic liquids were 1-methyl-3-(propylsulfonic acid)imidazolium triflate and tetrabutylammonium taurinate for capture of ammonia and carbon dioxide, respectively. In both materials, the relatively high capacities at low partial pressures give these materials potential as composite adsorbents in commercial applications. |
