The main challenge in the CO2 capture from flue gases is to reduce the energy consumption required for solvent regeneration. Lipophilic amines exhibit a thermomorphic phase transition upon heating, giving rise to autoextractive behaviour, which enhances desorption at temperatures well below the solvent boiling point. The low regeneration temperature of less than 80 degrees C together with the high cyclic CO2 loading capacity (c. 0.9 mol(CO2),/mol(absorbent)) of such biphasic amine systems permit the use of low temperature and even waste heat for desorption purposes. In order to improve the capture process and reduce the commensurate energy demand still further, desorption experiments were carried out at 70-80 degrees C and techniques for enhancing CO2 release without gas stripping were also studied. The comparison of various amines at a concentration of 3M and for a 15 mol% CO2 feed gas demonstrates the considerable potential of lipophilic amines for the CO2 absorption process. Chemical stability is a decisive factor for the industrial application of amine absorbents. Degradation of the novel lipophilic amine absorbents was shown to be minor, while volatility losses represent a major shortcoming of the biphasic solvent systems. Appropriate countermeasures to limit solvent losses were examined experimentally. (C) 2011 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.