Activation routes for high surface area graphene monoliths from graphene oxide colloids

Graphene monoliths made from graphene oxide colloids by unidirectional freeze-drying method were activated by typical activation processes of CO2 activation, chemical activation using ZnCl2 or H3PO4, and KOH activation. The porosity development of graphene monolith markedly depends on the activation method. The monoliths with highest surface area are obtained by the KOH activation method; only the KOH activation is effective for production of the graphene monolith of which surface area is in the range of 1760-2150 m2 g−1. The mechanism of the porosity development by KOH activation method is proposed. This work provides a promising route for the bottom-up design of pore width-tunable nanoporous carbons.