Surface modified activated carbon with β-cyclodextrin – Part I. Synthesis and characterization

Abstract

Surface functional groups produced from oxidation (carboxylic acid, lactone, quinine, phenol, and nitro groups), reduction (alcohol and amine groups), and grafting (imine and hemi-acetal) reactions were characterized (using surface analysis and chemical methods) and compared with unmodified activated carbon (AC) materials. The untreated, surface-modified, and grafted activated carbon materials were characterized by various surface sensitive methods: Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetry analysis, and Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. A chemical method (Boehm titration) was used for estimating the amount of surface bound acidic and basic functional groups. Nitrogen porosimetry was used to analyze the surface area (95–1350 m2/g) and pore volume (0–0.31 cm3/g) characteristics of AC, surface modified AC, and AC materials grafted with β-cyclodextrin.