Mesoporous carbon materials prepared from carbohydrates with a metal chloride template

Abstract

A new and facile method was developed for the preparation of mesoporous carbon materials from soluble and hydrolyzable carbohydrates with a metal chloride template. The preparation procedure and related mechanism were demonstrated using fructose and ZnCl₂ as examples of the carbon precursor and template, respectively. Since both fructose and ZnCl₂ are soluble in water, they can be mixed homogeneously initially. Fructose was first hydrolyzed to hydroxymethylfurfural, which was then polymerized to form a resin; both reactions were catalyzed by the acidic ZnCl₂. During the carbonization, ZnCl₂ might act as an activation agent promoting the carbonization of cured resin and a template for the formation of mesopores. Mesoporous carbon materials with high surface areas (1400–2000 m² g⁻¹), large pore volumes (1.44–2.72 cm³ g⁻¹) and 100% mesopores with an average size of 3–7 nm can be prepared by using this simple and cost-effective method. The materials could be used as adsorbents and catalyst supports for relatively large molecules.