Abstract
Ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) were synthesized in this study through a soft template method and then activated by employing different mass ratios of KOH/OMCs to obtain KOH-activated ordered mesoporous carbons (KOMCs) with hierarchical pore structures. To verify the adsorption capacity, the KOMCs have been subjected to toluene emission-reduction experiments. The KOMCs were characterized by TEM, XRD, N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, and Raman spectroscopy. The pore structure of OMCs was found to be effectively optimized by the activation with KOH, with the BET-area and total pore volume values reaching as high as 2661 m2 g−1 and 2.14 cm3 g−1 respectively. Then, the dynamic adsorption capacity of toluene on KOMCs was investigated via breakthrough curves, which can be well described by the Yoon and Nelson (Y-N) model. The dynamic adsorption capacities of toluene exhibit the following order: OMC < KOMC-1 < KOMC-5 < KOMC-3. The sample activated by KOH/OMC with a mass ratio of 3:1 (KOMC-3) demonstrated the highest toluene adsorption capacity of 355.67 mg g−1, three times higher in comparison with the untreated carbon (104.61 mg g−1). The modified hierarchical porous carbons also exhibited good recyclability. The KOMCs with rich pore structure, high toluene adsorption capacity, and superior reusability thus display a huge potential for volatile organic compound (VOC) elimination.
Highlights
With the rapid development of industry air pollution has become a significant problem in the development of human society
The ordered mesostructure of the prepared KOH-activated ordered mesoporous carbons (KOMCs) samples was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and low angle X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns
The ordered mesostructure of the prepared KOMC samples was observed by transmission The ordered mesostructure the prepared
Summary
With the rapid development of industry air pollution has become a significant problem in the development of human society. MOFs are commonly utilized adsorbents with high adsorption capacity for VOC [14,15], they still have a typical disadvantage, namely their vulnerability to wet or acidic environments [16]. OMCs have a vast potential in the adsorption of VOCs because of their large BET-area, tunable pore size, high pore volume, good chemical inertness and mechanical strength, and reliable desorption performance in particular [1]. One significant approach to enrich the pore structures of carbon materials is chemical activation for adsorbents [23]. The application of KOH-activated ordered mesoporous carbons (KOMCs) in VOC removal has been rarely reported. OMCs were synthesized through a simple soft template method and subsequent chemical activation with KOH to etch hierarchical pore structures. The effect of the mass ratio of KOH/OMC for physicochemical properties and toluene adsorption capacity were investigated. The recycling ability of KOMC-3 was examined
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