Highly microporous polymer-based carbons for CO2 and H2 adsorption

A series of microporous carbons has been obtained through carbonization and KOH activation of a commercially available styrene divinylbenzene resin with sulfonate functional groups, Amberjet 1200 H. The resulting carbons featured very high specific surface areas: from 725 m(2) g(-1) to 3870 m(2) g(-1), large total pore volumes: from 0.44 cm(3) g(-1) to 2.07 cm(3) g(-1), and exceptionally developed microporosity: from 0.2 cm(3) g(-1) to 1.16 cm(3) g(-1). The controlled activation process afforded high amounts of ultramicropores (micropores < 0.75 nm) reaching 0.32 cm(3) g(-1). Physisorption measurements showed very high uptakes of CO2 and H-2 reaching 356 mg g(-1) of CO2 (0 degrees C, 800 mmHg), 209 mg g(-1) of CO2 (25 degrees C, 850 mmHg), and 39 mg g(-1) of H-2 (-196 degrees C, 850 mmHg).