Host-guest inclusion complexes derived heteroatom-doped porous carbon materials

A facile and efficient strategy for the synthesis of heteroatom-doped carbon materials was developed, in which host-guest inclusion complexes were employed as versatile precursors. Inclusion of heteroatom containing guest molecules in the cavity of host molecules (such as cyclodextrins and cucurbit[n]urils) not only doped the carbon frameworks with heteroatoms (for instance, nitrogen, sulfur, boron, fluorine and iron), but also highly improved the carbonization yield. Since the chemical structure (composition) of hosteguest inclusion complexes can be finely tuned at molecular level, they are ideal small molecular precursors for heteroatoms doped carbon materials. A nitrogen-doped porous carbon material derived from inclusion complexes exhibited a high performance as supercapacitors electrode with a high specific capacitance (348 F g(-1)) at a current density of 1 A g(-1) in 6 M KOH aqueous solution and good cycling stability over 5000 cycles, demonstrating its potential application in energy storage. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.