Noel Díez

Tailoring micro-mesoporosity in activated carbon fibers to enhance SO2 catalytic oxidation

Enhanced SO2 adsorption of activated carbon fibers is obtained by tailoring a specific micro-mesoporous structure in the fibers. This architecture is obtained via metal catalytic activation of the fibers with a novel precursor, cobalt naphthenate, which contrary to other precursors, also enhances spinnability and carbon fiber yield. In the SO2 oxidation, it is demonstrated that the combination of micropores and large mesopores is the main factor for an enhanced catalytic activity which is superior to that observed in other similar microporous activated carbon fibers. This provides an alternative way for the development of a new generation of catalytic material.

Synthesis of Perfectly Ordered Mesoporous Carbons by Liquid-assisted Mechanochemical Self-assembly of Tannin

A simple, green, one-pot mechanosynthesis method for preparing perfectly ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) by ball-milling is presented herein. Mimosa tannin (T) and Pluronic® F127 (P) are used as the carbon precursor and as the mesopore-directing agent, respectively. Water (W) is used to promote micelle formation and also the interaction between T and P; no crosslinker is used and drying or curing steps before carbonization are not needed either. The experimental conditions, such as the milling time, the pH of added W and the P : W ratio are optimized to obtain perfect 2D hexagonal OMCs with BET areas as high as 588 m2 g−1 after carbonization at 900 °C. Carbonization temperatures up to 1500 °C or activation allow further increasing the surface area, up to ∼1900 m2 g−1, while maintaining the ordered mesoporous structure. These materials should find relevant applications in environmental remediation strategies for oil spills, in selective CO2 adsorption from humid gases or as electrodes of supercapacitors.