Synthesis and Gas Adsorption Properties of Carbide-Derived Carbons from Titanium Tin Carbide

Here we reported the synthesis of nanoporous carbide-derived carbons (CDCs) from a new precursor, titanium tin carbides (Ti2SnC), via chlorination at 400-1100 degrees C. At low chlorination temperature (400-500 degrees C), as-synthesized CDCs mainly consisted of amorphous carbon and chlorides. As the chlorination temperature increased up to 600 degrees C, chlorides disappeared, and the main composition of CDCs was amorphous carbon. At high chlorination temperature, there was a trend of graphitization. The microstructure of CDCs was observed and characterized by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Some graphite-like sheet structures in CDCs were found. Specific surface area (SSA) and pore volume of CDCs increased with chlorination temperature, except an abnormal decrease of the CDC chlorinated at 900 degrees C. CDC chlorinated at 1100 degrees C had the largest SSA, 1580 m(2)/g. In order to apply these materials as novel hydrogen/methane storage media in the area of energy efficient transport, gas adsorption properties of CDCs were measured. For CDC chlorinated at 1100 degrees C, pore volume uptakes are similar to 206 cm(3)/g at 60 bar (25 degrees C) for methane, and similar to 442 cm(3)/g at 35 bar (similar to 196 degrees C) for hydrogen, respectively. It was suggested that CDCs from Ti2SnC are promising materials for hydrogen/methane adsorptive storage.