Vapor-phase assisted hydrothermal carbon from sucrose and its application in acid catalysis

Abstract

A novel and practical synthesis method for carbonaceous materials was proposed by the vapor-phase hydrothermal treatment of sucrose at a mild 200 °C temperature. The resultant carbon possesses a 52 m² g⁻¹ specific surface area and 0.18 cm³ g⁻¹ total pore volume – values that are substantially higher than those of conventional hydrothermally treated sugar solutions. The functionalization of the porous carbon with –SO₃H led to acidic materials with high catalytic activity and selectivity towards, e.g., the sylvan condensation with furfural.