Intercalation of wood charcoal with sulfuric acid

Intercalation of wood charcoal with sulfuric acid (H2SO4) was investigated. Carbonized sugi (Japanese cedar) samples were prepared by heating at various temperatures in the range 1700°–2700°C. Electrochemical oxidization was carried out in H2SO4 and the feasibility of intercalation was determined. In potentiometric analysis, plateaus appeared for samples carbonized at temperatures above 2300°C. In their X-ray diffraction profiles, the peak at around 26° was shifted to a smaller angle of about 22.4°. These results can be considered as signs of intercalation with acid molecules. Fourier transform infrared analysis of charcoal heated at 2700°C, following washing with water and drying of the sample, showed a band at 1220 cm−1 that was assigned to a sulfonate group. This band was not observed for samples heated at 1900°C. These observations suggest the occurrence of intercalation in the former charcoal, but not in the latter. It is concluded that wood charcoal can undergo intercalation when it has ordered stacking of hexagonal carbon layers.