Direct synthesis of ordered mesoporous hydrothermal carbon materials via a modified soft-templating method

We developed a facile and universal method for synthesizing ordered mesoporous hydrothermal carbon materials from saccharides through a modified soft-templating approach. In a typical process, the micelles formed during the dissolving process of triblock copolymer and acted as soft template. Then, in order to avoid the destruction of the micelles during the following hydrothermal carbonization process, the micelles were covered and stabilized by silica layer, which is formed by hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate and subsequent condensation reaction of the formed orthosilicic acid. During the hydro thermal carbonization process, the saccharides-derived hydrothermal carbon will form on the surface of silica layer. After removal of the modified soft template, ordered hydrothermal carbon materials were obtained. The ordered structure was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and small-angle X-ray diffraction technique. The Brunauer Emmett Teller specific surface area values of the as-prepared ordered hydrothermal carbon materials range from 330 to 620 m(2) g(-1). It is worth to mention that it is a universal method for transforming different saccharides, such as glucose, D-fructose, D-maltose, sucrose, and beta-cyclodextrin, into ordered mesoporous hydrothermal carbon materials. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.