Simultaneous control of the pore volume and the surface wettability in porous carbons prepared by carbonization of iodine-treated cellulose derivatives

• Published in: Journal of porous materials 2021-02, Vol.28 (1), p.271-277
• Main Authors: Miyajima, Naoya, Matsumura, Taiyu, Yanagisawa, Takuma, Sakane, Hideto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adsorbed water; Adsorption; Carbon; Carbonization; Catalysis; Cellulose; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Functional groups; Iodine; Physical Chemistry; Porosity; Raw materials; Sodium salts; Surface chemistry; Water chemistry; Wettability
• ISSN: 1380-2224; 1573-4854
• DOI: 10.1007/s10934-020-00986-x

Microporous carbon was prepared by carbonization of carboxymethylcellulose and its sodium salt introduced various amounts of iodine. The iodine introducing treatment was performed by exposing raw materials to iodine vapor. Interaction between the carbon and water molecules was investigated by several methods related to water adsorption. The iodine treatment gave the porous carbons without reducing their char yield. The treatment on the sodium salt to I/Na molar ratio ≈ 1 gave the carbon both the largest microporous surface area of ca. 900 m 2 /g and the amount of acidic surface functional groups of ca. 1.81 mmol/g in the carbon which led to a higher interaction with water. The introduced acidic functional groups contributed to an increase in active site of water adsorption. It was expected that a porous carbon with simultaneous and suitable improving of char yield, porosity, and surface wettability would be achieved by the simple processing of iodine treatment and carbonization from cellulose-based resources.