Superior CO2 uptake of N-doped activated carbon through hydrogen-bonding interaction

Abstract

Here we show that the introduction of N into a carbon surface facilitates the hydrogen-bonding interactions between the carbon surface and CO₂ molecules, which accounts for the superior CO₂ uptake of the N-doped activated carbons. This new finding challenges the long-held viewpoint that acid–base interactions between N-containing basic functional groups and acidic CO₂ gas are responsible for the enhanced CO₂ capture capacity of N-doped carbons.