Preparation and CO2 adsorption properties of soft-templated mesoporous carbons derived from chestnut tannin precursors

• Published in: Microporous and mesoporous materials Vol. 222; pp. 94 - 103
• Main Authors: Nelson, Kimberly M., Mahurin, Shannon M., Mayes, Richard T., Williamson, Ben, Teague, Craig M., Binder, Andrew J., Baggetto, Loic, Veith, Gabriel M., Dai, Sheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.03.2016
• Subjects: Adsorption; Carbon dioxide; Chestnut tannin; Mesoporous carbon; Self-assembly; Self-assembly; Adsorption; Mesoporous carbon; Chestnut tannin; Carbon dioxide
• ISSN: 1387-1811; 1873-3093
• DOI: 10.1016/j.micromeso.2015.09.050

This work presents a soft templating approach for mesoporous carbon using the polyphenolic heterogeneous biomass, chestnut tannin, as the carbon precursor. By varying synthesis parameters such as tannin:surfactant ratio, cross-linker, reaction time and acid catalyst, the pore structure could be controllably modulated from lamellar to a more ordered hexagonal array. Carbonization at 600 °C under nitrogen produced a bimodal micro-mesoporous carbonaceous material exhibiting enhanced hydrogen bonding with the soft template, similar to that shown by soft-templating of phenolic-formaldehyde resins, allowing for a tailorable pore size. By utilizing the acidic nature of chestnut tannin (i.e. gallic and ellagic acid), hexagonal-type mesostructures were formed without the use of an acid catalyst. The porous carbon materials were activated with ammonia to increase the available surface area and incorporate nitrogen-containing functionality which led to a maximum CO2 adsorption capacity at 1 bar of 3.44 mmol/g and 2.27 mmol/g at 0 °C and 25 °C, respectively. The ammonia-activated carbon exhibited multiple peaks in the adsorption energy distribution which indicates heterogeneity of adsorption sites for CO2 capture. [Display omitted] •Ordered porous carbon synthesized from chestnut tannin.•CO2 adsorption up to 3.44 mmol/g at 0 °C and 1 bar.•Multiple interaction sites due to complex tannin precursor.