High surface area porous carbons produced by steam activation of graphene aerogels

Abstract

We report a facile and scalable method for the preparation of a carbon-based porous material through steam activation of a graphene aerogel (GA). The morphology and porous attributes of the steam activated graphene aerogel (SAGA) have been well investigated by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption–desorption experiments. The structure and chemical composition of the obtained SAGA have been disclosed through X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The as-prepared SAGA exhibits a high Brunauer–Emmett–Teller specific surface area (830–1230 m² g⁻¹), an abundant large pore volume (2.2–3.6 cm³ g⁻¹), and excellent thermal stability. The SAGA shows excellent adsorption capabilities for toluene (710 mg g⁻¹) and methanol (641 mg g⁻¹) at saturated vapor pressure and room temperature. Furthermore, the obtained SAGA possesses a much higher carbon dioxide uptake capacity compared to GA and carbonized GA without steam activation. The high adsorption capacities of the SAGA for organic vapors and carbon dioxide make it show potential applications in the environmental field.