Preparation of a carbon monolith with bimodal perfusion pores

We have initiated a method for the synthesis of a carbon monolith with trimodal porous structure of macro/macro/mesopores by nano-casting and phase separation. In this method, a silica monolith was employed as the hard template. A mixture of styrene and divinylbenzene, in the presence of initiator and porogenic reagent (dodecanol), was filled into the void of the silica monolith template. After the subsequent polymerization, carbonization and removal of the silica template, a carbon monolith with bimodal perfusion pores was successfully prepared. The primary perfusion pores were resulted from the dissolution of the silica template and the secondary perfusion pores were originated from the phase separation in the polymerization. In addition to macropores, mesopores also existed in the skeletons of the carbon monolith. Such structure of the carbon monolith has been characterized by scanning electron microscopy, mercury porosimetry and nitrogen sorption. (c) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.