Microporous carbon derived from boron carbide

Materials with high specific surface area (SSA) and controlled pore size distribution are of great importance because of their potential applications in molecular sieves, gas storage, catalyses, absorbents, battery electrodes, supercapacitors, water/air filters and medical devices. Carbide derived carbons (CDCs) represent a new class of microporous carbons produced by selective thermochemical etching of the carbide-forming element from metal carbide in which control over the pore size distribution is possible. The synthesis of microporous carbons done by chlorination of boron carbide at various temperatures (400-1200 degreesC) is presented in this work. Analysis of carbon powders which were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows that the structure obtained can be controlled by varying the chlorination temperature. The resultant carbon demonstrated high specific surface area close to 2000 m(2)/g (for argon adsorption) at the moderately low chlorination temperature of 800-900 degreesC. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.