Preparation of model mesoporous carbons

Abstract

The objective of this work was to prepare mesoporous carbon solids made of monosized spherical particles, produced from poly(acrylonitrile)(PAN) precursors, after oxidation in air and subsequent carbonization under an inert atmosphere. The precursors were obtained from PAN latices by slow drying in air. The PAN latices stabilized by ABA amphipathic block copolymers were prepared in n-hexane by means of dispersion polymerization. Transmission electron micrographs showed that the particles of the latex dispersions were small spheres with a narrow particle-size distribution. Scanning electron micrographs of the mesoporous carbon samples demonstrated that the particles were arranged either in a regular (orthorhombic) or in a random (disordered) type of packing. The resulting carbon particles were found to have suffered slight coalescence around points of contact. Surface roughness on the surface of the particles was also evident.