New Sorbents and Future Applications

Future needs for a clean environment will lead to increasingly higher standards for air and water pollutants. These challenges require better sorbents that are not conunerciaUy available. Traditionally, sorbents were developed based on empiricism. To meet the new challenges, tailored sorbents need to be developed based on fundamental principles. Theoretical tools, such as ab initio molecular orbital theory and Monte Carlo simulations can be used to speed up the sorbent design. It is one of the goals of this book to help put sorbent design on a more rational basis. 

Some of the most challenging problems in separation and purification that require new sorbents are given in Table 1.2. New sorbents that can solve these problems are also given. Details of these new sorbents are discussed in Chapter 10. Further innovations are needed for meeting these and many more future challenges. 

CH4 storage for on-board vehicular Super-activated carbon and activated carbon 

H2 storage for on-board vehicular Near or meeting DOE target storage capacity Carbon nanotubes Possible candidate ( ) 

Sulfur removal from transportation fuels TT-complexation sorbents such as Cu(I)Y, 

---