Preparation and Modification of Activated Carbon Surface and Functions for Environments

Abstract

Preparation and modification of activated carbon (AC) and activated carbon fiber (ACF) were described for the adsorptive removal of contaminants from aqueous phase. For hydrophobic and nonpolar organic pollutants, specific surface area and pore distribution of hydrophobic carbon surface play an important role. On the contrary, hydrophilic carbon surface containing heterolytic oxygen-, nitrogen-, and sulfur-containing functional groups is required for capturing ionic pollutants rather than specific surface area. Carboxy groups was successfully introduced onto carbon surface to remove cationic contaminants as heavy metal cations of Pb2+, Ni2+, Cd2+, Cu2+, etc., while quaternary nitrogen could be formed to some extent on carbon surface for uptaking anionic pollutants of nitrate, phosphate, Cr2O42−, AsO43−, etc. However, introduction of sulfonic functional groups onto carbon surface for cationic pollutants and alkylamine groups for anionic pollutants has still been challenging subjects.KeywordsActivated carbon fiberAdsorption of ionic pollutantsOxygen- and nitrogen-containing functional groupsPositively charged quaternary nitrogen Surface chemistry Textural properties