Facile synthesis of high surface area zeolite-templated carbons using divinylbenzene and propylene as carbon sources

Zeolite-templated carbon (ZTC) with a high surface area of 3860 m2 g−1 is readily synthesized from divinylbenzene (DVB) and propylene as carbon sources, by using NaY zeolite as a template. In the present method, the necessary amount of DVB can be reduced to the total pore volume of the zeolite. DVB can be directly mixed with previously dried zeolite, and each time for the adsorption and the thermal polymerization of DVB is shortened to only 1 h. The resulting NaY/polydivinylbenzene (PDVB) is subject to chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using propylene and the subsequent carbonization. In this process, DVB becomes graphene fragments that have a catalytic activity against propylene, and the ZTC framework with the three-dimensionally ordered and interconnected micropore structure is developed inside the zeolite pores during the CVD. Finally, zeolite is removed by HF etching, producing 0.3 g of ZTC per 1 g of zeolite. Instead of DVB, previous methods to prepare high surface area ZTCs use furfuryl alcohol that gradually polymerizes and strongly stacks on the zeolite particles, leading to a decrease in the surface area of ZTC due to the resulting nonporous carbon shell formed on the ZTC particles. The present method is much easier and more feasible than the previous methods, and does not require any reagents for polymerizing DVB or organic solvents.