Characterization of the pore structure of nanoporous activated carbons produced from wood waste

Highly developed nanoporous carbon materials have been prepared by a two-stage thermocatalytic process. In the first step, alder (Alnus rhombifolia) and birchwood (Betula pendula) were carbonized with and without a dehydration catalyst (H3PO4); in the second step, the material was activated by means of NaOH. The dependence of the porous structure of activated carbons from process parameters was characterized by the novel limited evaporation technique. Specific surface areas, pore volumes, and radii were calculated according to the Derjaguin-Broekhoff-de Boer theory. The tests of activated carbons as electrodes in supercapacitors demonstrated their high potential for this application.