Size-controllable templates for the synthesis of porous carbon with tunable pore configurations

•Microporous carbon (MPC) and hierarchically porous carbon (HPC) were designed.•Controlling the pH values endows resulting carbons with tunable pore structures.•MPC shows microporous structure with high surface area of 2068 m2 g−1.•MPC is promising for supercapacitors with a high capacitance of 287 F g−1.

Microporous carbon (MPC) and hierarchically porous carbon (HPC) were precisely designed by a colloidal process using the same carbon source and pore template. Tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) hydrolysis and condensation reaction under acid condition yields the MPC featuring a highly microporous structure with BET surface area of 2068 m2 g−1 and pore volume of 0.99 cm3 g−1 while the reaction under alkaline condition makes the resulting carbon with hierarchically porous structure (HPC), giving a surface area of 1051 m2 g−1 and pore volume of 0.8 cm3 g−1. MPC is also proved to be a promising candidate for supercapacitors with a high capacitance of 287 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 and 152 F g−1 at 50 A g−1.