Template synthesis of large pore ordered mesoporous carbon

Nanocast carbon (NCC-1) with large pores and ordered structure was synthesized via a nanocasting process using aluminumcontaining SBA-15 as template and furfuryl alcohol (FA) as carbon precursor. This carbon has several interesting features, such as two steps with distinguished hystereses in the nitrogen sorption isotherm, high surface area of similar to 2000 m(2)/g and large pore volumes of similar to 3.0 cm(3)/g. It was found that the key factors in the synthesis of such carbons are the aging temperature of the SBA-15 template, the concentration of furfuryl alcohol (dissolved in trimethylbenzene), and the carbonization temperature. The optimal conditions for materials with high surface area and pore volumes are SBA-15 starting materials aged at 140 degrees C, 25 vol% of FA solution and 8501100 degrees C carbonization temperatures. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that such nanocast carbon can be synthesized in a more facile way than previously reported. Purely siliceous SBA-15 without the need of Al3+-incorporation can be directly used as template. In this case, the polymerization catalyst-oxalic acid and FA were simultaneously introduced into the pore space of SBA-15. (c) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.