One-pot synthesis of foam-like magnesia and its performance in CO2 adsorption

A new preparative route of porous magnesia is reported in this paper to fabricate pores in magnesia through in situ carbonization. New foam-like magnesia materials were synthesized via one-pot pathway using P123 and PEO as templates and magnesium nitrate as precursor, forming the as-made Mg2+-block-polymer-rich composites at first. These composites were converted to magnesia-carbon monolith in the calcination under nitrogen, and then formed the foam-like MgO after the succeeding calcination in air to remove carbon species. Foam-like magnesia samples possess the interconnected porous architecture and cavity, and their framework were constructed by nano-crystalline MgO; they have the large surface area (101-130 m(2) g(-1)) and pore volume (0.24-0.36 cm(3) g(-1)) as well as multiple-length-scale porosity (macro- and mesopores). Apart from the advantage of synthesis, this porous magnesia exhibits a considerably high capacity in the CO2 adsorption in the temperature range of 25-200 degrees C. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.