Microwave-assisted pyrolysis coupled with chemical activation was developed to prepare the woody biomass-derived activated carbon (AC) with desirable structural characteristics. In this study, sawdust powder was impregnated with phosphoric acid before being microwave-pyrolyzed to achieve AC. The utilization of microwave greatly enhanced the transformation of volatiles into gaseous components, and the yield of char increased when phosphoric acid accelerated the secondary polymerization of volatile matters. Microwave-induced activation may alter the interaction between activator and sawdust-derived organic species, enriching the categories of oily components. The char originating from microwave-activation treatment has a high graphitization degree, exhibiting superior thermal stability and hydrophilic property. Moreover, one-step microwave-activation approach increased specific surface area (978.2 m2g−1 versus 13.0 m2g−1 in conventional pyrolysis) and improved the formation of porous structure. The life cycle assessment analysis revealed that microwave-activation technique had a low environmental impact due to enhanced heating efficiency and reduced energy consumption.
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