One-pot synthetic method to prepare highly N-doped nanoporous carbons for CO2 adsorption

• A one-pot synthetic method was used for the preparation of N-doped nanoporous carbons.
• Polypyrrole (PPY) were activated with NaOH under set conditions (NaOH/PPY = 2 and 4).
• N-doped activated carbon exhibited high specific surface areas (2169 m2 g−1).
• The carbons showed a very high CO2 adsorption capacity of 177 mg g−1 at 298 K.

A one-pot synthetic method was used for the preparation of nanoporous carbon containing nitrogen from polypyrrole (PPY) using NaOH as the activated agent. The activation process was carried out under set conditions (NaOH/PPY = 2 and NaOH/PPY = 4) at different temperatures in 600–900 °C for 2 h. The effect of the activation conditions on the pore structure, surface functional groups and CO2 adsorption capacities of the prepared N-doped activated carbons was examined. The carbon was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), N2/77 K full isotherms, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The CO2 adsorption capacity of the N-doped activated carbon was measured at 298 K and 1 bar. By dissolving the activation agents, the N-doped activated carbon exhibited high specific surface areas (755–2169 m2 g−1) and high pore volumes (0.394–1.591 cm3 g−1). In addition, the N-doped activated carbons contained a high N content at lower activation temperatures (7.05 wt.%). The N-doped activated carbons showed a very high CO2 adsorption capacity of 177 mg g−1 at 298 K and 1 bar. The CO2 adsorption capacity was found to be dependent on the microporosity and N contents.