Fabrication of morphology-preserved microporous carbon from a zeolitic-like porous coordination polymer

A new zeolitic-like microporous coordination polymer (PCP), [Zn₂(L)·2H₂O]·guest (named NTU-17), with crb (BCT) topology was designed and prepared. Interestingly and unusually, it is the first time that such rod-shaped NTU-17 crystals could be converted to morphology-preserved carbon rods with exclusive micropores and a large surface area by using a facile method of direct thermal transformation. Gas adsorption and selectivity showed that these PCP dependent carbon rods are suitable solid adsorbents for CH₄ purification.