Strategies for post-synthetic functionalization of mesoporous carbon nanomaterial surfaces

Most widely used carbon-based materials feature a bulk framework tolerant of extreme pH and temperature conditions while maintaining physical robustness, electrical conductivity, and biological relevance due to its inherent nontoxicity. At the nanoscale, the study of porous carbons has been of interest because of the enhanced accessible surface area relative to nonporous analogues. The evolution of synthetic techniques has developed structural allotropes with tunable internal pore diameter averages spanning from sub-nanometer to micron-plus sizes. Within the mesopore range, surface chemical phenomena abide by a kinetic-limited ruleset (ignoring the effects of bulk diffusion, as they do not pertain to this size regime). Further, mesopores provide sufficient volume and surface area for hosting guest species, including metal nanoparticles (MNP), polymers, small organics, and enzymes. These two unique features of mesoporous carbon (MC) drive interest in surface modifications to create new physicochemical functionality to these systems and their hosted species. As a result, the evolution of surface modification techniques has been scattered to disparate niches across the literature. This review compiles the array of elegant methods by which these carbon systems are topically engineered.

Automated summary

Carbon-based materials are widely used and their study at the nanoscale, particularly porous carbons, shows great potential and importance. Mesoporous carbons offer sufficient volume and surface area to host various guest species, and surface modifications can create new physicochemical functionalities.