Conventional MCM-41 (M41), silica-pure pore-expanded MCM-41 (PM41), and Al-containing pore-expanded MCM-41 (PM41Ax) were synthesized from rice husk ash and tested as polyethyleneimine (PEI) supports for CO
2
capture. Samples were characterized by small-angle X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, granulometric analysis, and nitrogen adsorption techniques. The PEI loading rate and CO
2
adsorption-desorption performance were determined via thermogravimetric analysis. The effects of pore expansion, heteroatom Al incorporation, PEI loading rate, and Si/Al ratio on CO
2
adsorption performance were examined. For the first time, the amount of PEI impregnated in PM41 was increased beyond 55 wt%, and the low-Si/Al-ratio PM41Ax support was used to load PEI in a novel procedure. Results show that at the same PEI loading rate, PM41 is always superior to M41 regarding adsorption capacity and adsorption rate. For a PEI loading rate >50 wt%, the superiority is amplified, reaching 15.9% and 21.3%, respectively. The use of the high-Al-containing PM41Ax support further increases adsorption capacity and adsorption rate by 13.4% and 9.6%, respectively. The presented reaction has a hybrid adsorption characteristic that includes both chemisorption and physisorption. Avrami’s fractional-order kinetic model describes the adsorption best. Over the entire time scale, the adsorption rate is determined by several kinetic diffusion-controlled processes. The intraparticle diffusion and equilibrium adsorption are two predominant rate-limiting steps, and their control ranges change with temperature. After five cycles of adsorption and desorption, the desorption ratio was as high as 99%, and the working capacity still retained 96.5% of the original capacity. In addition, the presence of water vapor increased the adsorption capacity of the adsorbents presented in this study. These advantages make them successful iin capturing CO
2
in the post-combustion scenario.