Ultrahigh-CO2 Adsorption Capacity and CO2/N2 Selectivity by Nitrogen-Doped Porous Activated Carbon Monolith

Among microporous adsorbents, N-doped activated carbon monolith has been developed to achieve functionalized nanoporous carbon via cross-linked polymer precursors, which are used in Friedel-Craft alkylation and pyrolysis. Nitrogen-doping is establish an efficient method for boosting the CO2 adsorption capacity of carbon-based adsorbents, and research in this area is still full of challenges to reach a fit doping level of nitrogen (N) and intrinsic microporosity. Herein is an easy method that enables the preparation of microporous nitrogen-doped porous carbon monolith with proportion of 4.6 wt% N, which employs poly (H-BINAM) as primary material. By virtue of chemical activation, high microporosity is generated and gives a monolithic structured porous nitrogen-doped activated carbon (MPC-700). The resulting material showed a remarkable CO2 adsorption capacity (6.74 mmol g(-1) at 273 K and 5.18 mmol g(-1) at 298 K under 1 bar), and an excellent CO2 over N-2 selectivity (153), which is measured from single-component adsorption isotherms according to Henry's Law. This value exceeds the CO2 over N-2 selectivity of reported carbon-based adsorbents including diverse nitrogen doped examples, the features of which are largely associated with remarkably high N-content and furthermore partial graphitic framework.