Ordered mesoporous carbons: Implication of surface chemistry, pore structure and adsorption of methyl mercaptan

Three ordered mesoporous carbon materials (OMC) were prepared by pyrolysis of sucrose filled in the mesoporous channels of SBA-15 at three different temperatures of 600 °C (OMC-600), 850 °C (OMC-850) and 1100 °C (OMC-1100), and followed by dissolution of the silica matrix in hydrofluoric acid. The pore structures and surface characteristics of the OMC materials were evaluated using XRD, nitrogen adsorption, FTIR spectroscopy, pH of carbon surface, and the amount of acidic surface groups from Boehm titration, respectively. The increase of the pyrolysis temperature resulted in an increase in surface pH, but a decrease in the amount of acidic surface groups. The surface area and micro- and mesopore volumes increased by increasing the pyrolysis temperature from 600 °C to 850 °C, but there were no significant changes in these properties above 850 °C. In this paper, adsorption characteristics of methyl mercaptan on the OMC materials were studied using a dynamic adsorption method in a fixed bed. The results showed that the adsorption of methyl mercaptan was strongly influenced by pore structure and surface chemistry of the OMC.