Catalytic performance of porous carbons obtained by chemical activation

Porous carbons were prepared by the pyrolysis of pinewood in nitrogen at 773 K, followed by chemical activation using different concentrations of KOH in nitrogen at 973 K. Both water-washed and acid-washed samples exhibited much higher specific surface areas than unactivated carbon. The water-washed sample showed strong basicity and a high catalytic performance in the decomposition of isopropanol, even higher than superbase 26%KNO₃/γ-Al₂O₃. Moreover, these porous carbons can act as water-resistant solid bases. The formation of the insoluble basic sites is most possibly related to the intercalation of potassium in the carbon during the chemical activation.