Effect of Carbon Surface Modification with Dimethylamine on Reactive Adsorption of NOx

The wood-based activated carbon, either as received or oxidized with nitric acid, was exposed to dimethylamine vapors. This modification was expected to introduce nitrogen groups. Then, the modified samples were used as adsorbents of NO2 under dynamic conditions. Both NO2 breakthrough curves and the NO concentration curves were recorded. The samples before and after exposure to NO2 were characterized using adsorption of nitrogen, elemental analysis, potentiometric titration, FTIR, and thermal analysis. Modifications with amines resulted in an increase in NO2 adsorption and in a decrease in NO emission. The effects were more visible when oxidation was used as a pretreatment of the carbon surface. This process increased the incorporation of nitrogen to the carbon matrix via acid-based reactions resulting in the formation of amides and amine carboxylic salts. Besides this, dimethylamine was strongly adsorbed on the carbon surface via hydrogen bonding with oxygen-containing groups. When the samples were exposed to nitrogen dioxide, there was an indication that nitramine and nitrosoamine were formed in the reactions of NO2 with either amides or amines. In the reactions of amines with NO, nitrosoamines are the likely products. As a next step, the surface of the carbon matrix is reoxidized by NO2, which is accompanied by the release of NO.