Ordered mesoporous pristine and nitrogen doped carbons synthesis characterization and applications

Abstract

Current scientific challenges are to cultivate green chemical process and to develop new alternative energy sources production storage and utilization that can replace the fossil fuels Since 1990s the synthesis of advanced mesoporous materials has undergone an explosive growth At this juncture it is noteworthy that synthesis of materials based on carbon has been evolving all the time In recent times an intriguing possibility of these carbons and their doped analogues particularly nitrogen in terms of structure morphology textural properties and applications are on a rise In this regard the ultimate goal of our research is focused to synthesize nano porous materials such as nitrogen containing carbon materials that can be used for advanced applications as alternative energy storage and conversion materials and in the green chemical processes newlineOrdered mesoporous carbons designated as CSICMKnt were prepared using mesoporous silica templates of various pore sizes and pore dimensionalities employing nanocasting method Similarly nitrogendoped ordered mesoporous carbons designated as MNC3nt were prepared via silica template using different nitrogencontaining carbon precursors at pyrolysis temperatures 600 and 900 Further carbons with nitrogen doping through ammonia postsynthesis method were also synthesized newlineThe physicochemical characterization of prepared materials was done using various analytical spectroscopic and imaging techniques The total nitrogen doped was between 5 18 in various carbons It was seen that the pyrolysis atmosphere also influences the nitrogen incorporation in the carbon structure Four types of nitrogen functional groups phenanthridinic acridinic graphitic nitrogen and nitrogen oxides were successfully created on the carbon surface A clear perception between the carbon nitrides and Ndoped carbons is resolved using 13C solid state MASNMR These surface functional groups made the carbon more basic and its surface more heterogeneous newlineThe experimental hydrogen adsorption excess adsorption was converted