Carbon nanocage: a large-pore cage-type mesoporous carbon material as an adsorbent for biomolecules

Novel large pore cage type mesoporous carbons, carbon nanocages, abbreviated as CKT (carbon from KIT-5) using three dimensional large cage type face centered cubic Fm3m mesoporous silica materials (KIT-5) as inorganic templates prepared at different temperature were synthesized and characterized. The specific pore volume and the specific surface area of the carbon nanocage materials are much higher as compared to CMK-3 mesoporous carbon. Adsorption of amino acid (histidine), flavonoid (catechin), vitamin (vitamin E, alpha-tocopherol), endocrine disrupter (nonylphenol), and enzyme (lysozyme) over the carbon nanocage materials was also studied. Interestingly, carbon nanocage materials showed an unusual adsorption capacity of catechin in aqueous solution. The CKT carbon nanocage materials also exhibited higher adsorption capabilities of other biomolecules used in this study as compared with the CMK-3 mesoporous carbon.