Highly microporous polymer-based carbons for CO2 and H2 adsorption

Abstract

A series of microporous carbons has been obtained through carbonization and KOH activation of a commercially available styrene divinylbenzene resin with sulfonate functional groups, Amberjet 1200 H. The resulting carbons featured very high specific surface areas: from 725 m² g⁻¹ to 3870 m² g⁻¹, large total pore volumes: from 0.44 cm³ g⁻¹ to 2.07 cm³ g⁻¹, and exceptionally developed microporosity: from 0.2 cm³ g⁻¹ to 1.16 cm³ g⁻¹. The controlled activation process afforded high amounts of ultramicropores (micropores < 0.75 nm) reaching 0.32 cm³ g⁻¹. Physisorption measurements showed very high uptakes of CO₂ and H₂ reaching 356 mg g⁻¹ of CO₂ (0 °C, 800 mmHg), 209 mg g⁻¹ of CO₂ (25 °C, 850 mmHg), and 39 mg g⁻¹ of H₂ (−196 °C, 850 mmHg).