In situ synthesis of N and Cu functionalized mesoporous FDU-14 resins and carbons for electrochemical hydrogen storage

N and Cu cooperatively functionalized mesoporous resin and carbon materials with bicontinuous cubic structure (FDU-14) were obtained by a novel synthesis method. In this method, block copolymers were used as the templates as well as the precursors for the preparation of these modifying mesoporous materials. The CuC2O4 in the channels of mesoporous FDU-14 resins was gotten by in situ oxidation of the templates in a catalytic redox system containing Cu2+, Al3+, NO3−, PO43−, SO42− ions. Simultaneously, the phenol–formaldehyde resin frameworks were in situ functionalized by the amine group resulting from the reduction of NO3−, leading to the formation of N and CuC2O4 modified mesoporous FDU-14 resin materials. Its pyrolysis at the different temperatures resulted in the production of N and Cu cooperatively functionalized mesoporous FDU-14 resin and carbon materials. The structure and composition of these materials were characterized by the X-ray power diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, N2 adsorption–desorption analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry analysis, and inductive coupled plasma emission spectroscopy. The electrochemical measurement indicated that N and Cu cooperatively functionalized mesoporous FDU-14 carbon materials possessed the enhanced electrochemical hydrogen storage performance.