Synthesis and characterization of ordered mesoporous carbon

The ordered mesoporous carbons were synthesized directly by the carbonization of in-situ sulfuric-acid-treated P123 triblock/silica nanocomposites, which were prepared from the combination of sol-gel polymerization and evaporation induced self-assembly and subsequent silica removal. The influence of carbonization temperature on the pore properties of nanocomposites and mesoporous carbons was discussed. The samples were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N₂ adsorption-desorption, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). These analyses reveal that the carbon/silica nanocomposites have hexagonal ordered structure. With the increasing of carbonization temperature, the pore size of nanocomposite increased first, and then decreased; however, the pore size of carbon materials decreased with the increasing of carbonization temperature. Moreover, the carbon particles without defects are composed of the arrays of carbon nanotubes, which were 5-6 nm in diameter and connected with each other by the spacers.