Melamine assisted preparation of nitrogen doped activated carbon from sustainable biomass for H2 and CO2 storage

Abstract

Activated carbon (AC), as an effective solid adsorbent, is extensively employed in H2 and CO2 storage. To enhance its adsorption capability and selectivity, it is necessary to increase its surface area and dope heteroatoms by a simple and environment-friendly method. In this work, nitrogen doped activated carbon (NAC) has been synthesized from sustainable biomass by direct activation with the assistance of melamine. The obtained NAC with 2.1 wt% N dopants possesses a high surface area (2477.27 m2/g) and pore volume (1.93 cm3/g). The NAC displayed enhanced H2 uptake capacity (2.29 wt% at 77 K, 1 bar and 0.83 wt% at 298 K, 100 bar) and adequate CO2 uptake capacity (2.85 mmol/g at 298 K, 1 bar and 4.49 mmol/g at 273 K, 1 bar). Activation mechanism with the assistance of melamine was proposed in accordance with the experimental data. The facile method of preparing NAC is potential for large-scaled production.