Affiliation:
1. Advanced Membranes & Porous Materials Center (AMPMC) King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal 23955 Saudi Arabia
2. KAUST Catalysis Center (KCC) King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal 23955 Saudi Arabia
3. Department of Chemical Engineering/Nanoscale Environmental Sciences and Technology Institute Wonkwang University 460 Iksandae-ro Iksan Jeonbuk 54538 Republic of Korea
Abstract
AbstractGraphitic nanoplatelets (GnPs), edge‐selectively carboxylated graphitic nanoplatelets (ECGnPs), are functionalized with a carboxylic acid at the edge increasing their surface area, and are highly dispersible in various solvents. However, there is a limit in that the basal plane remains intact because it is functionalized only in the part where the radical is generated at the edge. Here, we activate ECGnPs to have porous structures by flowing CO2 at 900 °C. Etching of the ECGnPs structure was performed through the Boudouard reaction, and the surface area increased from 579 m2 g−1 to a maximum of 2462 m2 g−1. In addition, the pore structure was investigated with various adsorption gases (CH4, Ar, CO2, H2, and N2) according to the reaction time. This study provides the overall green chemistry in that it utilizes CO2 from manufacturing to activation compared to the process of activating with conventional chemical treatment.