A facile synthesis method for millimeter polyacrylonitrile-based activated carbon spheres with radiate tunnel-like macropores

A facile approach was employed to prepare polyacrylonitrile-based activated carbon spheres (PAN-ACS) through Rayleigh instability, double diffusion and catalytic activation. The obtained PAN-ACS were characterized by nitrogen adsorption-desorption and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). PAN-ACS had a better sphericity, and its average diameter was about 1.75 mm. And it displayed a novel hierarchical porous structure, in which macropores were tunnel-like and meso- and micropores existed in the wall of tunnels. The diameter of the tunnels was about 10 mu m. And the tunnels arrayed regularly, radiating from the core. The distribution peak of mesopores mainly located at about 4.0 nm. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.