Activated carbons with well-developed microporosity and high surface acidity prepared from lotus stalks by organophosphorus compounds activations

Eight organophosphorus compounds, trimethyl phosphate (TMP), tributyl phosphate (TBP), triphenyl phosphate (TPP), trimethyl phosphite (TMPI), tributyl phosphite (TBPI), triphenyl phosphite (TPPI), diethyl phosphite (DEPI) and diphenyl phosphoryl chloride (DPPC), were employed as activating agents to prepare activated carbons (AC-OPCs) from lotus stalks (LS). AC-OPCs contained mostly micropores with only a small contribution of mesopores and their pore sizes were mainly below 4 nm. Physical and chemical analysis results indicated that activations with OPCs dramatically enhanced the porosity, yield and surface acidity of AC-OPCs. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.