Vapor-phase assisted hydrothermal carbon from sucrose and its application in acid catalysis

A novel and practical synthesis method for carbonaceous materials was proposed by the vapor-phase hydrothermal treatment of sucrose at a mild 200 degrees C temperature. The resultant carbon possesses a 52 m(2) g(-1) specific surface area and 0.18 cm(3) g(-1) total pore volume - values that are substantially higher than those of conventional hydrothermally treated sugar solutions. The functionalization of the porous carbon with -SO3H led to acidic materials with high catalytic activity and selectivity towards, e.g., the sylvan condensation with furfural.