Mesoporous carbon/sulfur composite with N-doping and tunable pore size for high-performance Li-S batteries

Mesoporous carbons (MCs) were used as the matrixes to load sulfur for lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries, and pore sizes were tuned by heat treatment at different high temperatures. The cathode material shows the highest discharge capacity of 1158.2 mAh g^?1 at the pore size of 4.1 nm among as-prepared nitrogen-free materials with different sizes. Meanwhile, the nitrogen doping of mesoporous carbon helps to inhibit the diffusion of polysulfide species via an enhanced surface adsorption. The carbon/sulfur containing N (4.56%) shows a high initial discharge capacity of 1315.8 mAh g^?1 and retains about 939 mAh g^?1 after 100 cycles at 0.2 C. The improved electrochemical performance is ascribed to the proper pore size, surface chemical property, and conductivity of the N-doped carbon material.     

Adsorption of methyl parathion on PAC from natural waters: the effect of NOM on adsorption capacity and kinetics

Source water pollution by agricultural chemicals poses great threat to drinking water safety and the removal of such contaminants is a challenge to the water treatment industry. In this work, the adsorption behaviors of methyl parathion (MP) from different natural waters onto different kinds of powdered activated carbons (PAC) were investigated systematically. On the basis of the characterization of the PACs and natural organic matter (NOM), the suitability of PAC with NOM for effective removal of MP was proposed, and the effect of competitive adsorption on MP removal under two PAC dosing patterns was evaluated. The results indicated that NOM adsorption was dependent on the molecular weight (MW) distribution of organic compounds and the pore size distribution of PAC. The mesopore surface area with pore size>3 nm was dominant for the adsorption of the NOM fraction in the range of 500 Da<MW<3000 Da. Competition for adsorption sites by smaller MW NOM had significant effect on the adsorption of target organic compound in the simultaneous adsorption pattern. Whereas in the NOM-preloaded adsorption pattern, pore blockage by relatively larger MW NOM resulted in markedly reduction in both adsorption capacity and adsorption kinetics, the diffusion rate of MP on PAC could be affected by the PAC dosage, pore size distribution and the MW distribution of NOM.     

Hydrogen adsorption in transition metal carbon nano-structures

Templated microporous carbons were synthesized from metal impregnated zeolite Y templates. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) were employed to characterize morphology and structure of the generated carbon materials. The surface area, micro- and meso-pore volumes, as well as the pore size distribution of all the carbon materials were determined by N₂ adsorption at 77 K and correlated to their hydrogen storage capacity. All the hydrogen adsorption isotherms were Type 1 and reversible, indicating physisorption at 77 K. Most templated carbons show good hydrogen storage with the best sample Rh-C having surface area 1817 m²/g and micropore volume 1.04 cm³/g, achieving the highest as 8.8 mmol/g hydrogen storage capacity at 77 K, 1 bar. Comparison between activated carbons and synthesized templated carbons revealed that the hydrogen adsorption in the latter carbon samples occurs mainly by pore filling and smaller pores of sizes around 6 Å to 8 Å are filled initially, followed by larger micropores. Overall, hydrogen adsorption was found to be dependent on the micropore volume as well as the pore-size, larger micropore volumes showing higher hydrogen adsorption capacity.     

Adsorption of bulky molecules of nonylphenol ethoxylate on ordered mesoporous carbons

Ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) with varying pore sizes were prepared using ordered mesoporous silica SBA-15 as hard templates. The OMCs possess abundant mesopores with narrow pore size distribution, on which the adsorption behavior of bulky molecules of nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPE) were investigated. The isotherms of NPE on OMCs can be fitted by Langmuir adsorption model, evidenced by the adsorption data. The surface area of the pores larger than 1.5 nm is a crucial factor to the adsorption capacity of NPE, whereas the most probable pore diameter of OMCs is crucial to the adsorption rate of NPE. The adsorption temperature has more significant effects on adsorption rate than the adsorption capacity. Theoretical studies show that the adsorption kinetics of NPE on OMCs can be depicted with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. In addition, thermodynamic parameters of adsorption were evaluated based on the equilibrium constants related to the equilibrium of adsorption at different temperatures.     

Effects of structural properties of silicon carbide-derived carbons on their electrochemical double-layer capacitance in aqueous and organic electrolytes

High surface area silicon carbide-derived carbons (Si-CDCs) synthesized by chlorination of beta silicon carbide (βSiC) with two different particle sizes (6 μm and 50 nm) show different porosities with graphitic structure. Transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and argon (Ar) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) sorption analyses are used to examine the textural properties of the Si-CDCs. The results show that the particle size of the precursor affects the surface area and porosity of carbons. Furthermore, an additional heat treatment of the Si-CDC with 50-nm particle size for 24 h at 1,000 °C results in a collapse of the pore structure and reduces the surface area. The capacitive behaviours are investigated in H₂SO₄ and in tetraethyl ammonium tetrafluoroborate (TEABF₄)/acetonitrile (AN). The electrochemical performance of the Si-CDCs is influenced by the particle size, surface area, pore volume and pore size distribution. The Si-CDCs exhibit capacitances in 1 M H₂SO₄ of up to 179 F g^?1 and very stable charge–discharge performance over 5,000 cycles. This study shows the crucial importance of ultramicropores less than 1 nm combined with nanosized particles for achieving high capacitance in aqueous electrolyte. Moreover, the graphitic degree at the surface of the Si-CDCs enhances considerably the rate capability and stability in both electrolytes.     

Structural and surface heterogeneity of phosphorus-containing polyimide-derived carbons: effect of heat treatment temperature

Phosphorus-containing carbons have been obtained by carbonization of porous copolymer of 4,4′-bis(maleimidodiphenyl)methane (50 mol%) and divinylbenzene (50 mol%) in presence of phosphoric acid at temperatures 400–1000 °C. Porous structure was analyzed by nitrogen adsorption isotherms while surface chemistry was investigated by potentiometric titration method. It has been shown that carbons obtained at 500–1000 °C are micro-mesoporous with pore sizes of 1–1.1, 2–3 and 5.4 nm. The most developed porosity was achieved at 600 °C reaching BET surface area 890 m²/g and total pore volume 0.45 cm³/g. Carbons obtained by carbonization of polyimide precursor in presence of phosphoric acid showed acidic character with 30–40 % of phosphate surface groups. Maximum total amount of acidic surface groups was achieved at 800 °C reaching 3.2 mmol/g. Assignment of strongly acidic surface groups to phosphates was corroborated by pK value, phosphorus content and thermal gravimetric analysis.     

Effects of ligand density and pore size on the adsorption of bovine IgG with DEAE ion-exchange resins

Immunoglobulin G is an important plasma protein with many applications in therapeutics and diagnostics, which can be purified effectively by ion exchange chromatography. The ligand densities and pore properties of ion-exchange resins have significant effects on the separation behaviors of protein, however, the understandings are quite limited. In this work, with bovine immunoglobulin as the model IgG, the adsorption isotherms and adsorption kinetics were investigated systematically with series of diethylaminoethyl ion-exchange resins with different ligand densities and pore sizes. The Langmuir equation and pore diffusion model were used to fit the experimental data. The influences of ligand density and pore size on the saturated adsorption capacity, the dissociation constant and the effective diffusivity were discussed. The adsorption capacities increased with the increase of ligand density and the decrease of pore size, and an integrative parameter was proposed to describe the combined effects of ligand density and pore size. It was also found that the effective pore diffusion coefficient of the adsorption kinetics was influenced by pore sizes of resins, but was relatively independent on the ligand densities of resins. For a given protein, the ligand density and pore size should be optimized for improving the protein adsorption.     

Preparation of nano-silver-supported activated carbon using different ligands

In this study, we investigated the effect of water soluble ligands [i.e., sodium borohydride (NaBH₄), polyvinyl alcohol, glucose and galactose] on the preparation of nano-silver-supported activated carbon (AC). Ligand-stabilized Ag nanoparticle dispersion characteristics were also compared with those of ligand-free Ag nanoparticles. The nanoparticle distribution was investigated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) which enabled a qualitative analysis of ligand-dependent nanoparticle adsorption onto AC. Silver nanoparticles with average sizes ranging from 7 to 20 nm were synthesized with different coatings. In particular, silver nanoparticles reduced and stabilized by NaBH₄ were found to have a dense and homogenous dispersion of sizes in the range of 100–400 nm on the AC surface. These particles also seemed to remain on the AC surface after rinsing with water. The distribution of silver nanoparticles prepared in the presence of NaBH₄/PVA was not as good as the one prepared with NaBH₄. Their aggregate size varied from 300 to 600 nm on the AC surface and particles greater than 500 nm were eliminated from the AC surface upon rinsing with water. Glucose- and galactose-stabilized silver nanoparticles did not display an extensive adsorption and their adsorption seemed to be poor. However, glucose-stabilized silver nanoparticles could still be detectable to some extent after rinsing, while galactose-stabilized ones could not. Antimicrobial studies showed that all silver-containing carbons studied in this study inhibit bacterial growth and act as bacteriostatic agents.     

NPE在有序介孔炭上的吸附行为研究

采用有序介孔硅为硬模板制备了具有不同孔径的有序介孔炭(OMCs). 氮气吸附测试表明, 有序介孔炭具有丰富的介孔表面和集中的介孔分布. 以壬基酚聚氧乙烯醚(NPE)为探针分子, 研究了大分子酚类在有序介孔炭上的吸附行为. 吸附研究表明, NPE在有序介孔炭上的吸附满足Langmuir吸附模型. 孔结构分析表明, 大于1.5 nm的孔的表面积是决定NPE吸附量的关键因素, 而有序介孔炭的最可几孔径决定吸附速率的大小. 与吸附量相比, 吸附速率更容易受环境温度的影响. 动力学研究表明, NPE在有序介孔炭上的吸附满足准二级动力学方程.     

有序介孔炭的合成及液相有机大分子吸附性能研究

分别采用有序介孔氧化硅SBA-15和NaY分子筛为硬模板合成了系列有序介孔炭OMC和微孔炭CFY. N₂静态吸附测试表明, 所合成的介孔炭具有丰富的介孔结构和集中的介孔分布. 以亚甲基蓝为探针分子, 研究其在有序介孔炭OMC和微孔炭CFY上的吸附行为. 研究结果表明, 有序介孔炭中大于3.5 nm的大介孔孔容是决定亚甲基蓝吸附容量和吸附速率的关键因素. 吸附动力学理论研究表明, 准二级动力学方程可以很好地描述亚甲基蓝分子在介孔炭上吸附动力学行为.     

Experimental and theoretical study of D2/H2 quantum sieving in a carbon molecular sieve

The present work aims at providing additional insight into the crucial effect of pore size and pressure on the adsorption of H₂ and D₂ in porous carbons by means of Grand Canonical Monte Carlo simulations in model slit micropores at 77 K. In order to address the quantum behavior of the molecules the Feynman–Hibbs corrected LJ interaction potential is used for fluid–solid and fluid–fluid interactions. Based on the GCMC isotherms for the two isotopes, D₂ selectivity over H₂ is deduced for pores with different sizes as a function of pressure. Furthermore, GCMC results are coupled with experimental high pressure H₂ and D₂ adsorption data at 77 K for a commercial carbon molecular sieve (Takeda 3A).     

Effect of pore size on the performance of composite adsorbent

Three kinds of commercial silica gels with pore size of 2–3, 4–7 and 8–10 nm respectively are used for preparing composite adsorbents by soaking them into the aqueous solution of calcium chloride. The test result indicates that both the water uptake and adsorption rate of composite adsorbents prepared from 4–7 and 8–10 nm silica gels improve greatly compared to pure silica gels, but they do not for 2–3 nm silica gels. The silica gel with pore size of 2–3 nm is not suitable for preparing the composite adsorbent by impregnation method due to the pore blockage because of the small pore size. The SCP and COP of the adsorption chiller with sample SA50 are 128.3 Wkg^?1 and 0.27 respectively at the hot source temperature of 90 °C, which are largely superior to that of SA0. Hence using the composite adsorbent instead of the pure silica gel can reduce the size of the adsorption chiller.     

Effects of Morphology and Structural Characteristics of Ordered SBA-15 Mesoporous Silica on Release of Ibuprofen

Three kinds of highly ordered SBA-15 mesoporous materials with different pore sizes and morphologies denoted as LPS-SBA-15 (stick-like with pore size 7.28 nm), CPS-SBA-15 (stick-like with pore size 5.96 nm) and T-SBA-15 (tablet-like with pore size 4.64 nm) have been prepared, characterized and employed as carrier materials. The release behaviors of the ibuprofen in a simulated body fluid from these mesoporous silica materials were studied. The influences of pore size and exterior morphologies of mesoporous silica on the release behaviors of ibuprofen have been investigated. It has been found that the release becomes fast with increasing of pore size and slow with extending of transport pathway, and that the release rate of ibuprofen from the three kinds of SBA-15 is LPS-SBA-15 > T-SBA-15 > CPS-SBA-15. The results show that the inner structure as well as the exterior morphologies of SBA-15 mesoporous silica can seriously affect the release behaviors of ibuprofen.     

Adsorption of mercury from single and multicomponent metal systems on activated carbon developed from cherry stones

The adsorption of mercury from a single/multi-solute aqueous solution by activated carbon (AC) prepared from cherry stones (CS) by chemical activation with H₃PO₄, ZnCl₂ or KOH is studied. Three series of AC (i.e., P, H₃PO₄; Z, ZnCl₂; K, KOH) were prepared by controlling the impregnation ratio and carbonization temperature. The textural characterization of AC was carried out by gas adsorption, mercury porosimetry and density measurements. The surface chemistry was analyzed by the pH of the point of zero charge (pH_zpc), FT-IR spectroscopy and Boehm’s method. Experiments of mercury adsorption were conducted by the batch method, using aqueous solutions of mercury and of mercury, cadmium and zinc without pH adjustment. The ACs possess a wide range of pore volumes and sizes. Their microporosity is usually well developed. The meso- and macropore volumes are higher for the P carbons and K carbons, respectively. BET surface areas as a rule range between 1000 and 2000 m²?g^?1. The pH_zpc is much lower for the P carbons. The content of acidic oxygen surface groups is lower for the K carbons, whereas the content of basic groups is higher for these carbons. The kinetics of the adsorption process of mercury is faster for ACs with high volumes of large size pores. However, the surface groups have a marked unfavorable influence on the kinetics. The pseudo-second order rate constant (k₂×10^?3, g/mol?h) is higher by the order Z-4-800 (67.69)>K-3-800 (43.45)>P-3.44-400 (36.98). The incorporation of zinc and cadmium to the mercury solution usually decelerates the adsorption process for the P carbons and Z carbons and accelerates it for the K carbons. The amount adsorbed of mercury is much larger for the K carbons than for the other ACs. For the Z carbons, competition effects of zinc and cadmium on the adsorption of mercury are negligible, which indicates that mercury adsorbs specifically on surface active sites of these adsorbents.     

Nitrogen-doped ordered porous carbon catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction in proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Three different N-doped ordered porous carbons (CNx) were produced by a nanocasting process using polyaniline as the carbon and nitrogen precursor. A pyrolysis treatment of iron chloride-impregnated CNx under nitrogen is used in the preparation of the carbon composite catalysts, and this is followed by posttreatments and optimization of the iron loading and the pore size. Exploration of the catalytic activity of the CNx products for catalyzing the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) using rotating disk electrode measurements and single-cell tests shows that the onset potential for ORR of the most effective catalyst in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ is as high as 0.9 V vs. the normal hydrogen electrode. A proton exchange membrane fuel cell constructed with the catalyst exhibits a current density as high as 0.52 A cm^?2 at 0.6 V with 2 atm back pressure using a cathode catalyst loading of 6 mg cm^?2. The average pore diameters of synthesized CNx-12, CNx-15, and CNx-16 are 0.7, 4.3, and 14 nm, respectively. It is observed that the pore size and specific surface area are an important factor for increased catalyst activity. The pore size of the most effective catalysts is found to be 4.3 nm.     

Equilibrium isotherms and isosteric heat for CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> adsorption on nanoporous carbons from polymers

Four nanoporous carbons obtained from different polymers: polypyrrole, polyvinylidene fluoride, sulfonated styrene–divinylbenzene resin, and phenol–formaldehyde resin, were investigated as potential adsorbents for carbon dioxide. CO₂ adsorption isotherms measured at eight temperatures between 0 and 60 °C were used to study adsorption properties of these polymer-derived carbons, especially CO₂ uptakes at ambient pressure and different temperatures, working capacity, and isosteric heat of adsorption. The specific surface areas and the volumes of micropores and ultramicropores estimated for these materials by using the density functional theory-based software for pore size analysis ranged from 840 to 1990 m² g^?1, from 0.22 to 1.47 cm³ g^?1, and from 0.18 to 0.64 cm³ g^?1, respectively. The observed differences in the nanoporosity of these carbons had a pronounced effect on the CO₂ adsorption properties. The highest CO₂ uptakes, 6.92 mmol g^?1 (0 °C, 1 atm) and 1.89 mmol g^?1 (60 °C, 1 atm), were obtained for the polypyrrole-derived activated carbon prepared through a single carbonization-KOH activation step. The working capacity for this adsorbent was estimated to be 3.70 mmol g^?1. Depending on the adsorbent, the CO₂ isosteric heats of adsorption varied from 32.9 to 16.3 kJ mol^?1 in 0–2.5 mmol g^?1 range. Overall, the carbons studied showed well-developed microporosity and exceptional CO₂ adsorption, which make them viable candidates for CO₂ capture, and for other adsorption and environmental-related applications.     

Aqueous dye adsorption on ordered mesoporous carbons

Ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) with varying pore size, and microporous carbon, CFY, were synthesized using ordered mesoporous silica SBA-15 and NaY zeolite as hard templates, respectively. N(2) adsorption tests show that the synthesized OMCs possess abundant mesopores and centralized mesopore distribution. Methylene blue (MB) and neutral red (NR) were used as probe molecules to investigate their adsorption behaviors on OMCs and CFY. As evidenced by adsorption tests, the volume of mesopores of which the pore size is larger than 3.5 nm is a crucial factor for the adsorption capacity and adsorption rate of MB on OMCs. However, the most probable pore diameter of OMCs was found to be vital to the adsorption capacity and adsorption rate of NR. Theoretical studies show that the adsorption kinetics of MB and NR on OMCs can be well depicted by using pseudo-second-order kinetic model.     

Expanded Bed Chromatography as a Tool for Nanoparticulate Separation: Kinetic Study and Adsorption of Protein Nanoparticles

Expanded bed adsorption was investigated together with its suitability for the practical recovery of nanoparticulate mimics of products such as plasmid DNA and viruses as putative gene therapy vectors. The study assessed the binding of protein nanoparticles fabricated from bovine serum albumin (BSA) with average size of 80 nm as a model system and viral size/charge mimic to the streamline DEAE adsorbent in the expanded bed column chromatography. The adsorption kinetics and adsorption mechanism for the BSA nanoparticles on the adsorbent were studied. In batch adsorption studies, the factors nanoparticle concentration, contact time and adsorbent amount, affecting adsorption isotherms were investigated. Subsequently the data were regressed against the Lagergren equation, which represents a first-order kinetics equation and also against a pseudo-second-order kinetics equation. The results demonstrated that the adsorption process followed a Langmuir isotherm equation. The kinetics of the adsorption process followed a pseudo-second-order kinetics model with a rate constant value of 0.025 g mg^?1 min^?1. The dynamic binding capacity of the BSA nanoparticles on an expanded bed was calculated. The recovery of the nanoparticles was more than 85%.     

Why the pore geometry model could affect the uniqueness of the PSD in AC characterization

In this paper we discuss why the pore geometry can affect the unicity of the pore size distribution (PSD) of a given activated carbon (AC) sample, when different probe gases are used in adsorption measures. In order to characterize the solid sample we used grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation and the independent pore model with slit or triangular pore geometry, focusing our analysis on the possibility of representing the adsorptive processes of a triangular pore of defined size by means of a combination of slit pores of different sizes. This representation is tested on experimental adsorption data of N₂ (77 K) on AC samples and acceptable results were obtained. Finally, we have performed a theoretical test, which consisted of analyzing a virtual porous solid with this approach and different probe gases (N₂ at 77 K and CO₂ at 273 K), showing that the differences between the pore representations can cause differences between the solid representations for the adsorptive properties, for these different gases. The analysis presented here can be extended to other pore geometries and other adsorbates, and provide arguments to further explain results presented in our previous paper, which refers to cases when different adsorbates yield different PSDs for a given sample and the same pore geometry model.     

Porous SiOC composites fabricated from preceramic polymers and wood powders for efficient dye adsorption and removal

Porous SiOC composites for efficient treatment of dye wastewater were prepared using polysiloxane preceramic polymer mixed with wood biomass by pyrolysis under Ar atmosphere. The influences of the pyrolysis temperature on the microstructure, pore feature and adsorption behavior were investigated. The composites contain the α-quartz, cristobalite, nanosized β-SiC and free carbon embedded in a SiOC matrix. The composite obtained at 1300 °C presents a high specific surface area up to 463 m²/g. The adsorption capacity is enhanced by increasing pyrolysis temperature. The adsorption for the removal of methylene blue on the composites follows the pseudo second-order kinetics, and the adsorption data can be described by the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms very well. The composite at 1300 °C displays a maximum adsorption capacity up to 173.5 mg/g caused by the enhancement of specific surface area and the existence of sp² carbons, resulting in many favorable adsorption sites and strong electrostatic attraction.