N-doped activated carbon for enhanced CO2 sorption through self-activation
摘要
In this research, nitrogen-doped activated carbons (NACs) featuring a high specific surface area (3396 m2/g) and a certain amount of nitrogen doping (0.79–1.69%) were prepared by a combination of chemical activation and self-activation methods, and their CO2 adsorption characteristics were comprehensively assessed. The experimental results showed that nitrogen doping not only significantly enhanced the specific surface area of the materials, but also significantly enhanced the CO2 adsorption. The CO2 adsorption capacity of the optimal sample, CMAC-0.5–3-700, reached 4.11 mmol/g and 2.32 mmol/g at 0 °C and 25 °C, respectively. In addition, the selectivity of NACs for CO2/N2 was significantly improved, with a selectivity factor of up to 50.16, and the competitive adsorption experiments also demonstrated that NACs could still effectively adsorb CO2 under the condition of CO2/N2 = 15/85. Density-functional theory (DFT) calculations further revealed the interaction mechanism between NACs and CO2 molecules, the enhanced CO2 selectivity is attributed to electrostatic and π-electron interactions between nitrogen atoms and CO2. The findings indicate the significant potential of nitrogen-doped activated carbons (NACs) with high specific surface area and substantial nitrogen doping for post-combustion CO2 capture.