Copper oxide-decorated porous carbons for carbon dioxide adsorption behaviors

Copper oxide-loaded porous carbons (PCs) for high efficient carbon dioxide capture were prepared. Copper oxides were loaded onto porous carbons by a postoxidation method involving copper electroplated PCs at 300 °C in an air stream. Additionally, porous carbons were prepared from ion-exchangeable polymeric resin by a chemical activation method. The microstructure of the copper oxide/PCs was characterized by XRD, and the formation of copper oxides after the postoxidation process was confirmed by XPS. The carbon dioxide adsorption behaviors were evaluated by a PCT (pressure-composition-temperature) apparatus at 298 K and 1.0 atm. It was found that the presence of copper oxides significantly led to an increase in the carbon dioxide adsorption capacity of the carbons. Copper oxide nanoparticles have electron-donor features, resulting in the enhancement of adsorption capacity of carbon dioxide molecules, which have an electron acceptor feature.