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Microporosity and nanostructure of activated carbons: characterization by X-ray diffraction and scattering, Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy

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Abstract

Microporosity and structure of a set of activated carbons was studied by combination of N2 and CO2 adsorption, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction and scattering and multiwavelength Raman spectroscopy. It is shown that correlations between measured parameteres may be established for a given set of activated carbons, most often obtained from a same precursor. Comparison of results of TEM images processing and of Small-angle scattering with adsorption data suggests that super-micropores (0.7–2 nm) are highly variable in shape and strongly deviate from the ideal slit pore model. These pores are likely located in between disordered continuous graphene stacks. It is shown that Small-angle scattering is mostly caused by supermicropores; contribution of other types of porosity is of secondary importance. For a set of carbons with similar structure, a reasonable correlation between Guinier radii and pore width obtained from N2 adsorption can be found; however, the reason for the observed offset between the data sets remain uncertain. Sensitivity of the Raman scattering to atomic scale processes leads to poor or unclear correlations between the spectroscopic and structural data, although some notable exceptions are noted.

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Acknowledgements

We highly appreciate important contribution of Dr. A. Shkolin in discussion of NLDFT data. Comments of two anonymous reviewers helped to improve the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. A.N. Frumkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry of Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky pr. 31, korp. 4, Moscow, 119071, Russia

    Andrei A. Shiryaev & Alexei Averin

  2. Laboratoire de GÉnie des Procédés – Agroalimentaire – Environnement (GEPEA), UMR CNRS 6144, Mines de Nantes, Nantes, France

    Pascaline Pré

  3. PIIM, UMR CNRS 7345, Université Aix-Marseille, Avenue Escadrille Normandie-Niémen, 13397 Cedex 20, Marseille, France

    Cédric Pardanaud

  4. EFFECT Photonics B.V., Kastanjelaan 400, 5616 LZ, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

    Vadim Murzin

  5. Laboratoire de Géologie, UMR CNRS 8538, Ecole Normale Supérieure, 75231, Paris, France

    Jean-Noël Rouzaud

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  1. Andrei A. Shiryaev
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  2. Pascaline Pré
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Shiryaev, A.A., Pré, P., Pardanaud, C. et al. Microporosity and nanostructure of activated carbons: characterization by X-ray diffraction and scattering, Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Adsorption 29, 275–289 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10450-023-00406-x

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