Morphology and surface chemistry of chemically treated activated carbons

Microporous activated carbons were prepared from poly(ethylenetereplithalate). This carbon was functionalized to different dearees by cold and hot nitric acid treatment combined with subsequent heating in inert atmosphere to obtain samples with different Surface chemistry. According to Studies Using complementary techniques (e.g., low temperature nitrogen adsorption or small angle X-ray scattering, SAXS) the greatest reduction in the Surface area due to the treatment is 75 %, but the pore size distribution in the micropore range is hardly affected. The surface chemistry was characterized in nonaqueous (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, XPS) and aqueous medium (pH, pH(PZC) Boehm titration). The importance of the surface chemistry is illustrated in standard SAXS combined with contrast variation, as well as in a wide variety of adsorption processes.