Synthesis, characterization and modeling of nanostructured carbons

BARRERA D.; DÁVILA M.; CORNETTE V.; LÓPEZ, R.H.; SAPAG K.; ZGRABLICH, G.

Miami (Florida)

Workshop; 6th International Workshop-Characterization of Porous Materials (CPM-6); 2012

Quantachrome Instrument

Energy and environmental problems have created the need of designing new materials that can be used in more efficient processes with high selectivity. Nanostructured carbon (NC) have attracted rapidly attention due to their physicochemical properties useful in many application as: separation processes (CH4/CO2 and N2/O2), gases storage (CH4 and H2), gases capture (CO2) and energy storage as electrodes in batteries and supercapacitors. The synthesis of a NC was carried out by the nanocasting technique using as template an ordered mesoporous material (SBA-15) and sucrose as carbon source. The inorganic template was synthesized by a non-hydrothermal route. The final material consists in an ordered arrangement of nanoporous carbon (CMK-3) with nanorods formed of cylindrical pores from the inorganic matrix. Inorganic matrix and the NC were characterized structurally by X-ray diffraction, texturally by N2 sorption at 77 K and morphologically by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The final material exhibited a large specific surface area around of 1700 m2/g and a mean pore size of 50 Å. In addition, the NC was modeled as an array of solid cylinders in an hexagonal structure and N2 adsorption simulations were performed by using grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) to characterize the ordered carbons. The simulation results showed a good agreement with experimental adsorption isotherms. This first step to link the GCMC with the synthesis and characterization of this type of materials, is the basis to optimize their possible applications.