High adsorption selectivity of activated carbon and carbon molecular sieve boosting CO_(2)/N_(2) and CH_(4)/N_(2) separation

Flue gas and coal bed methane are two important sources of greenhouse gases.Pressure swing adsorption process has a wide range of application in the field of gas separation,and the selection of adsorbent is crucial.In this regard,in order to assess the better adsorbent for separating CO_(2) from flue gas and CH_(4) from coal bed methane,adsorption isotherms of CO_(2),CH_(4) and N_(2) on activated carbon and carbon molecular sieve are measured at 303.15,318.15 and 333.15 K,and up to 250 kPa.The experimental data fit better with Langmuir 2 compared to Langmuir 3 and Langmuir-Freundlich models,and Clausius-Clapeyron equation was used to calculate the isosteric heat.Both the order of the adsorbed amount and the adsorption heat on the two adsorbents are CO_(2)>CH_(4)>N_(2).The adsorption kinetics are calculated by the pseudo-first kinetic model,and the order of adsorption rates on activated carbon is N_(2)-CH_(4)>CO_(2),while on carbon molecular sieve,it is CO_(2)-N_(2)>CH_(4).It is shown that relative molecular mass and adsorption heat are the primary effect on kinetics for activated carbon,while kinetic diameter is the main resistance factor for carbon molecular sieve.Moreover,the adsorption selectivity of CH_(4)/N_(2) and CO_(2)/N_(2) were estimated with the ideal adsorption solution theory,and carbon molecular sieve performed best at 318.15 K for both CO_(2) and CH_(4) separation.The study suggested that activated carbon is a better choice for separating flue gas and carbon molecular sieve can be a strong candidate for separating coal bed methane.

Thermal pretreatment of willow branches impacts yield and pore development of activated carbon in subsequent activation with ZnCl_(2) via modifying cellulose structure

Development of pore structures of activated carbon(AC)from activation of biomass with ZnCl_(2) relies on content and structure of cellulose/hemicellulose in the feedstock.Thermal pretreatment of biomass could induce dehydration and/or aromatization to change the structure of cellulose/hemicellulose.This might interfere with evolution of structures of AC,which was investigated herein via thermal pretreatment of willow branch(WB)from 200 to 360℃and the subsequent activation with ZnCl_(2) at 550℃.The results showed that thermal pretreatment at 360℃(WB-360)could lead to substantial pyrolysis to form biochar,with a yield of 31.9%,accompanying with nearly complete destruction of cellulose crystals and remarkably enhanced aromatic degree.However,cellulose residual in WB-360 could still be activated to form AC-360 with specific surface area of 1837.9 m~2·g^(-1),which was lower than that in AC from activation of untreated WB(AC-blank,2077.8 m~2·g^(-1)).Nonetheless,the AC-200 from activation of WB-200 had more developed pores(2113.9 m~2·g^(-1))and superior capability for adsorption of phenol,due to increased permeability of ZnCl_(2) to the largely intact cellulose structure in WB-200.The thermal pretreatment did increase diameters of micropores of AC but reduced the overall yield of AC(26.8%for AC-blank versus 18.0%for AC-360),resulting from accelerated cracking but reduced intensity of condensation.In-situ infrared characterization of the activation showed that ZnCl_(2) mainly catalyzed dehydration,dehydrogenation,condensation,and aromatization but not cracking,suppressing the formation of derivatives of cellulose and lignin in bio-oil.The thermal pretreatment formed phenolic-OH and C=O with higher chemical innerness,which changed the reaction network in activation,shifting morphology of fibrous structures in AC-blank to“melting surface”in AC-200 or AC-280.

Ultra-high specific surface area activated carbon from Taihu cyanobacteria via KOH activation for enhanced methylene blue adsorption

Cyanobacteria-based activated carbon(CBAC)was successfully prepared by pyrolysis-activation of Taihu cyanobacteria.When the impregnation ratio and activated temperature were 2 and 800-C,respectively,the optimal CBACs possessed an ultra-high specific surface(2178.90 m^(2)·g^(-1))and plenty of micro-and meso-pores,as well as a high pore volume(1.01 cm^(3)·g^(-1)).Ascribed to ultra-high surface area,π-π interaction,electrostatic interaction,as well as hydrogen-bonding interactions,the CBACs displayed huge superiority in efficient dye removal.The saturated methylene blue adsorption capacity by CBACs could be as high as 1143.4 mg·g^(-1),superior to that of other reported biomass-activated carbons.The adsorption was endothermic and modeled well by the pseudo-second-order kinetic,intra-particle diffusion,and Langmuir models.This work presented the effectiveness of Taihu cyanobacteria adsorbent ascribed to its super large specific surface area and high adsorption ability.

Properties of Activated Carbons from Sugarcane Leaves and Rice Straw Derived Charcoals by Activation at Low Temperature via KMnO_(4)Pre-Oxidation-Hydrolysis

Activated carbon preparation from sugarcane leaves and rice straw by carbonization(250℃–400℃)and activation at 500℃were studied.The effects of pre-oxidation,hydrolysis of derived charcoals by boiled KMnO4 aqueous solution were evaluated.The derived charcoals products were pretreated using oxidation-hydrolysis with 1–5 wt.%KMnO4 at 100℃and then activated at 500℃.The derived charcoal and activated carbon products were characterized by FTIR,XRD,SEM-EDS and BET.Iodine number and methylene blue number of derived products were also used for the analysis of the products.It was found that fabricated charcoal materials made at 350℃–400℃possess good characteristics with low content of surface functional groups and high carbon content.After pre-oxidation-hydrolysis and activation at 500℃,the resulting derived activated carbon materials from charcoals with 400℃carbonization temperature have high content of oxygen containing surface functional groups such as Mn-O,Si-O,Si-O-Si,C-O,or O-H.In addition,MnO_(2) accumulated on the surface of the derived activated carbon products.The surface area and pore volume of the activated carbon products have also increased with increasing of KMnO_(4) concentration from 1 to 3 wt.%and then decreased with 5 wt.%used during activation.Therefore,activated carbon products made by pre-oxidation-hydrolysis with 3 wt.%KMnO_(4) were used for Fe(Ⅲ)adsorption experiments.It was found that Fe(Ⅲ)adsorption on the activated carbon materials can be fitted with both the Freundlich and the Langmuir models.The calculated maximum Fe(Ⅲ)adsorption capacities of sugarcane leaves derived activated carbon and rice straw derived activated carbon products were 50.00 and 39.37 mg/g,respectively.It was shown that the effect of pre-oxidation-hydrolysis by KMnO_(4) and activation at 500℃are beneficial for activated carbon preparation with environmentally friendly and low-cost simplified operation.

Adsorption of Malachite Green Using Activated Carbon from Mangosteen Peel: Optimization Using Box-Behnken Design

In this research,activated carbon from mangosteen peel has been synthesized using sulfuric acid as an activator.The adsorption performance of the activated carbon was optimized using malachite green dye as absorbate.Mala-chite green dye waste is a toxic and non-biodegradable material that damages the environment.Optimization of adsorption processes was carried out using Response Surface Methodology(RSM)with a Box-Behnken Design(BBD).The synthesized activated carbon was characterized using FTIR and SEM instruments.The FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of a sulfonate group(-SO_(3)H)in the activated carbon,indicating that the activation pro-cess using sulfuric acid was successful.SEM characterization shows that activated carbon has porous morphology.Optimization was carried out for three adsorption parameters,namely contact time(20,60,and 120 min),adsor-bent mass(0.005,0.025,and 0.05 g),and initial concentration of malachite green solution(5,50,and 100 mg·L^(-1)).The concentration of the malachite green solution was determined using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer at the max-imum wavelength of malachite green,618 nm.The optimum of malachite green adsorption using mangosteen peel activated carbon was obtained at a contact time of 80 min,an adsorbent mass of 0.032 g,and malachite green initial concentration of 25 mg·L^(-1),with a maximum removal percentage and maximum adsorption capacity of 93.66%and 19.345 mg·g^(-1),respectively.

Mechanical Property and Microstructure of Cement Mortar with Carbonated Recycled Powder

Carbonated recycled powder as cementitious auxiliary material can reduce carbon emissions and realize high-quality recycling of recycled concrete.In this paper,microscopic property of recycled powder with three carbonation methods was tested through XRD and SEM,the mechanical property and microstructure of recycled powder mortar with three replacement rates were studied by ISO method and SEM,and the strengthening mechanism was analyzed.The results showed that the mechanical property of recycled powder mortar decreased with the increasing of replacement rate.It is suggested that the replacement rate of recycled powder should not exceed 20%.The strength index and activity index of carbonated recycled powder mortar were improved,in which the flexural strength was increased by 27.85%and compressive strength was increased by 20%at the maximum.Recycled powder can be quickly and completely carbonated,and the improvement effect of CH pre-soaking carbonation was the best.The activity index of carbonated recycled powder can meet the requirements of Grade II technical standard for recycled powder.Microscopic results revealed the activation mechanism of carbonated recycled powder such as surplus calcium source effect,alkaline polycondensation effect and carbonation enhancement effect.

Fate and Behavior of Tetracycline Resistance Genes in Activated Carbon Adsorption

The accessibility of tetracycline resistance gene (tetG) into the pores of activated carbon (AC), as well as the impact of the pore size distribution (PSD) of AC on the uptake capacity of tetG, were investigated using eight types of AC (four coal-based and four wood-based). AC showed the capability to admit tetG and the average reduction of tetG for coal-based and wood-based ACs at the AC dose of 1 g·L-1 was 3.12 log and 3.65 log, respectively. The uptake kinetic analysis showed that the uptake of the gene followed the pseudo-second-order kinetics reaction, and the uptake rate constant for the coal-based and wood-based ACs was in the range of 5.97 × 10-12 - 4.64 × 10-9 and 7.02 × 10-11 - 1.59 × 10-8 copies·mg-1·min-1, respectively. The uptake capacity analysis by fitting the obtained experiment data with the Freundlich isotherm model indicated that the uptake constant (KF) values were 1.71 × 103 - 8.00 × 109 (copies·g-1)1-1/n for coal-based ACs and 7.00 × 108 - 3.00 × 1010 (copies·g-1)1-1/n for wood-based ones. In addition, the correlation analysis between KF values and pore volume as well as pore surface at different pore size regions of ACs showed that relatively higher positive correlation was found for pores of 50 - 100 Å, suggesting ACs with more pores in this size region can uptake more tetG. The findings of this study are valuable as reference for optimizing the adsorption process regarding antibiotic resistance-related concerns in drinking water treatment.

Preparation and Characterization of Activated Carbons from Palm Nut Shells: Effects of Calcination Temperature on Porosity and Chemical Properties

Activated carbons (ACs) calcined at 400˚C, 500˚C, and 600˚C (AC-400, AC-500, and AC-600) were prepared using palm nut shells from Gabon as raw material and zinc chloride (ZnCl2) as a chemical activating agent. Prepared ACs were characterized by physisorption of nitrogen (N2), determination of diode and methylene blue numbers for studies of porosity and by quantification and determination of surface functional groups and pH at point of zero charge (pHpzc) respectively, for studies of chemical properties of prepared ACs. Then, effects of calcination temperature (Tcal) on porosity and chemical properties of prepared ACs were studied. The results obtained showed that when the calcination temperature increases from 500˚C to 600˚C, the porosity and chemical properties of prepared ACs are modified. Indeed, the methylene blue and iodine numbers determined for activated carbons AC-400 (460 and 7.94 mg·g−1, respectively) and AC-500 (680 and 8.90 mg·g−1, respectively) are higher than those obtained for AC-600 (360 and 5.75 mg·g−1, respectively). Compared to the AC-500 adsorbent, specific surface areas (SBET) and microporous volume losses for AC-600 were estimated to 44.7% and 45.8%, respectively. Moreover, in our experimental conditions, the effect of Tcal on the quantities of acidic and basic functional groups on the surface of the ACs appears negligible. In addition, results of the pHpzc of prepared ACs showed that as Tcal increases, the pH of the adsorbents increases and tends towards neutrality. Indeed, a stronger acidity was determined on AC-400 (pHpzc = 5.60) compared to those on AC-500 and AC-600 (pHpzc = 6.85 and 6.70, respectively). Also according to the results of porosity and chemical characterizations, adsorption being a surface phenomenon, 500˚C appears to be the optimal calcination temperature for the preparation of activated carbons from palm nut shells in our experimental conditions.

Simultaneous Adsorption of Aqueous Pb2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, and Cd2+ Using Surfactant-Modified and Unmodified Activated Carbon in a Fixed Bed Column

The goal of this work is to improve the simultaneous removal of Pb2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, and Cd2+ ions from synthetic wastewater in a fixed bed column by incorporating sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) onto the surface of activated carbon made from coconut shells. The activated carbons were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive x-ray (SEM-EDX). The adsorption column dynamics were studied by varying the flow rates (5, 10 and 15 mL/min), bed heights (10, 15 and 20 cm), and initial concentrations (50, 150, and 250 mg/L). The activated carbon has a pore volume of 0.715 cm3/g and a BET-specific surface area of 1410 m2/g. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant incorporation onto the surface of the activated carbon enhances its capacity for simultaneous adsorption of Pb2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, and Cd2+ from the aqueous medium. The affinity of the heavy metals to both unmodified (AC) and modified (AC-SDS) activated carbons followed the order of Pb2+ > Cu2+ > Zn2+ > Cd2+. The dynamic adsorption of the column depends on the flow rate, bed height, initial metal concentration, and SDS surface modification. With a 5 mL/min flow rate, a 20 cm bed height, and a 50 mg/L initial metal concentration, a maximum break-through time of 150 minutes for the unmodified activated carbon (AC) and 180 minutes for the SDS-modified activated carbon (AC-SDS) was reached.

Elimination, Kinetics and Thermodynamics of Fe(II) Ions by Adsorption in Static and Dynamic Conditions on Activated Carbons in Aqueous Media

This work investigated the removal, kinetics and thermodynamics of iron(II) ions (Fe(II)) by adsorption in static and dynamic conditions in aqueous media on activated carbons (AC-i30min, AC-i1h, and AC-i24h), prepared from palm nut shells collected in the city of Franceville to Gabon, using potassium hydroxide (KOH) as the activating agent. Results on the elimination of Fe(II) in static and dynamic adsorption on prepared activated carbons (ACs) showed that the AC-i24h adsorbent has the best Fe(II) adsorption capacities at saturation (Qsat). The Qsat obtained on AC-i24h in static and dynamic conditions (17.87 and 10.38 mg/g, respectively) were higher than those of AC-i30min (13.89 and 5.54 mg/g respectively) and AC-i1h (14.92 and 8.64 mg/g respectively). Moreover, the static adsorption was more effective in the removal of Fe(II) ions in aqueous media in our experimental conditions. The percentage removal (%E) of Fe(II) obtained on prepared activated carbons in static conditions was better than those obtained in dynamic conditions, especially on AC-i24h, where the %E was 89.27% in static and 61.56% in dynamic. In kinetics, results showed that the pseudo-second-order kinetic model best described the adsorption mechanisms of Fe(II) on prepared activated carbons in static adsorption, with mainly of chemisorption on the solid surfaces. However, in dynamic conditions, the pseudo-first-order kinetic model was more suitable. In addition to the weak interactions between Fe(II) and the activated carbon surfaces, strong interactions (chemisorption) were also observed. Also, thermodynamic data obtained on AC-i24h in static adsorption indicated that the adsorption of Fe(II) was spontaneous and increased with temperature (ΔG˚ H˚ = 503.54 KJ/mol).

Improving the Quality of Baobab Oil by Filtration on Activated Carbon from the Fruit Capsules

The baobab, Adansonia digitata L., plays an important role in the economy of local populations. Nowadays, baobab seed oil is highly prized for its many cosmetic and therapeutic applications, and for its composition of unsaturated fatty acids, sterols, and tocopherols. However, it undergoes numerous reactions during production, processing, transport, and storage, leading to undesirable products that make it unstable. The aim of this study was to provide local processors with innovative solutions for the treatment of unrefined vegetable oils. To this end, an experimental device for filtering crude oil on activated carbon made from fruit capsules was designed. The results obtained after the treatment show a significant decrease at (p < 5%) in acid value (1.62 to 0.58 mg KOH/g), peroxide value (4.40a to 0.50c mEqO2/Kg), chlorophyll concentration (1.81 to 0.50 mg/Kg) and primary and secondary oxidation products. According to these results, activated carbon’s adsorptive power eliminates oxidation products and certain pro-oxidants such as chlorophyll, resulting in a cleaner, more stable and better storable oil.

Chemical Analysis of Activated Carbon from Bull and Cow Horns Pyrolysis to Be Used as Antidotes

The purpose of this study is to compare the results of chemical analysis of two types of activated from the pyrolysis of bull horn and that of cow. Six samples were used to measure pH, carbon, calcium and to determine adsorbent power. The pH was measured at a temperature of 20˚C using an “ANION 7010 ionomer” pH meter, the carbon (C) content was analyzed using a “EURO EA 3000” analyzer. and the electronic balance: “Sartorius CP-2P”, calcium (Ca) was analyzed using a DFS-8 spectrograph. For the adsorbency test, the 0.15% methylene blue R solution was used. At the end of this study, we found that the activated carbon from the bull horn demonstrated a carbon content that is higher than that of the cow horn (20.79% against 15.63%), activated carbon of cow horn is richer in calcium than that of bull horn (16.27% against 3.69%) and then the pH. The cow horn is higher than that of the bull horn (7.43 versus 6.5). For the adsorbent power, the sample (75% bull horn and 25% cow horn) was recorded with the greatest adsorbent power. Thus, from this study, it can be recommended as an activated carbon antidote to be used for poisonings treatment.

Photocatalytic activity and kinetics for acid yellow degradation over surface composites of TiO_2-coated activated carbon under different photocatalytic conditions

TiO2-coated activated carbon surface （TAs） composites were prepared by a sol-gel method with supercritical pretreatment. The photocatalytic degradation of acid yellow （AY） was investigated under UV radiation to estimate activity of catalysts and determine the kinetics. And the effects of parameters including the initial concentration of AY, light intensity and TiO2 content in catalysts were examined. The results indicate that TAs has a higher efficiency in decomposition of AY than P25, pure TiO2 particles as well as the mixture of TiO2 powder and active carbon. The photocatalytic degradation rate is found to follow the pseudo-first order kinetics with respect to the AY concentration. The new kinetic model fairly resembles the classic Langmuir-Hinshelwood equation, and the rate constant is proportional to the square root of the light intensity in a wide range. However, its absorption performance depends on the surface areas of catalysts. The model fits quite well with the experimental data and elucidates phenomena about the effects of the TiO2 content in TAs on the degradation rate.

Science Letters:Nitrogen doping of activated carbon loading Fe_2O_3 and activity in carbon-nitric oxide reaction

Nitrogen doping of activated carbon loading Fe2O3 was performed by annealing in ammonia, and the activity of the modified carbon for NO reduction was studied in the presence of oxygen. Results show that Fe2O3 enhances the amount of surface oxygen complexes and facilitates nitrogen incorporation in the carbon, especially in the form of pyridinic nitrogen. The modified carbon shows excellent activity for NO reduction in the low temperature regime （〈500℃） because of the cooperative effect of Fe2O3 and the surface nitrogen species.

Effect of Activated Carbon as a Support on Metal Dispersion and Activity ofRuthenium Catalyst for Ammonia Synthesis

Ten kinds of activated carbon from different raw materials were used as supports to prepare ruthenium catalysts. N_2 physisorption and CO chemisorption were carried out to investigate the pore size distribution and the ruthenium dispersion of the catalysts. It was found that the Ru dispersion of the catalyst was closely related to not only the texture of carbon support but also the purity of activated carbon. The activities of a series of the carbon-supported barium-promoted Ru catalysts for ammonia synthesis were measured at 425 ℃, 10 0 MPa and 10 000 h -1. The result shows that the same raw material activated carbon, with a high purity, high surface area, large pore volume and reasonable pore size distribution might disperse ruthenium and promoter sufficiently, which activated carbon as support, could be used to manufacture ruthenium catalyst with a high activity for ammonia synthesis. The different raw material activated carbon as the support would greatly influence the catalytic properties of the ruthenium catalyst for ammonia synthesis. For example, with coconut shell carbon(AC1) as the support, the ammonia concentration in the effluent was 13 17% over 4%Ru-BaO/AC1 catalyst, while with the desulfurized coal carbon(AC10) as the support, that in the effluent was only 1 37% over 4%Ru-BaO/AC10 catalyst.

Organic carbon isotope and pollen evidence for mangrove development and response to human activity in Guangxi(Southwest China) over the last 140 years

Mangrove degradation must reduce carbon sequestration in recent years, thereby aggravating global warming.Thus, short-term impacts of human activity on mangrove ecosystems are cause for concern from local governments and scientists. Mangroves sediments can provide detailed records of mangrove species variation in the last one hundred years, based on detailed 210 Pb data. The study traced the history of mangrove development and its response to environmental change over the last 140 years in two mangrove swamps of Guangxi, Southwest China. Average sedimentation rates were calculated to be 0.48 cm/a and 0.56 cm/a in the Yingluo Bay and the Maowei Sea, respectively. Chemical indicators（δ13Corg and C：N） were utilized to trace the contribution of mangrove-derived organic matter（MOM） using a ternary mixing model. Simultaneous use of mangrove pollen can help to supplement some of these limitations in diagenetic/overlap of isotopic signatures. We found that vertical distribution of MOM was consistent with mangrove pollen, which could provide similar information for tracing mangrove ecosystems. Therefore, mangrove development was reconstructed and divided into three stages： flourishing, degradation and re-flourishing/re-degradation period. The significant degradation, found in the period of 1968–1998 and 1907–2007 in the Yingluo Bay and the Maowei Sea, respectively, corresponding to a rapid increase of reclamation area and seawall length, rather than climate change as recorded in the region.

Process analysis of temperature swing adsorption and temperature vacuum swing adsorption in VOCs recovery from activated carbon

In order to better guide the design of industrial process for purification and recovery of VOCs,temperature swing adsorption(TSA)and temperature vacuum swing adsorption(TVSA)process for VOCs purification and recovery were studied systematically with activated carbon adsorbent.The adsorption and desorption behaviors of benzene on activated carbon in above two processes were investigated systematically.Effects of operating parameters on process performances were further analyzed,including as regeneration temperature,purging feed ratio and hot–cold purging ratio.The results showed that the increase of hot–cold purging ratio(HP/CP)could obtain the same regeneration effect as the increase of desorption temperature.Increasing the feed purge ratio without increasing the hot–cold purging ratio is not conducive to bed regeneration,because a large number of cold purge gases cannot utilize the residual heat of temperature wave,thus reducing the desorption effect of the cooling step on the bed.In addition,the vacuum step can enhance the regeneration ability of hot nitrogen to the bed at the same regeneration temperature,making the bed regeneration of TVSA process more thorough.Temperature in the middle and lower part of the bed in TVSA process was higher and the regeneration was more thorough.In conclusion,TVSA has more obvious advantages than TSA in terms of energy consumption,hot or cold purge volume and bed regeneration.

PREPARATION AND THEIR ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF ACTIVATED CARBON FIBER CONTAINING SILVER

Several kinds of activated carbon fiber（ACF）, Granule Activated carbon（AC） containing silver ion or fine silver particle(Ag-ACF/AC) have been prepared by soaking ACF or AC in the salt solution of silver. Ag, AgCl and AgI compounds have been loaded onto the fibers. The structure of the fibers was measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The Ag content in the fiber was obtained by an Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The Ag+ content in water after the antibacterial test was measured by an Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) emission spectroscopy. Antibacterial test was carried out against Escherichia coli (E.coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus). The results show that Ag-ACF/AC have strong antibacterial activity against E.coli and S.aureus. After dealt with ACF/AC loading Ag, AgCl, AgI, no E.coli and S.aureus alive in solution can be detected. The analysis of Ag content in water after antibacterial test showed that the content of Ag meet the quality requirement of the National Potable Water Standard. It is indicated that ACF/AC-Ag in this experiment would be a safe antibacterial agent .

High surface area biocarbon monoliths for methane storage

New energy sources that reduce the volume of harmful gases such as SO_(x)and NO_(x)released into the atmosphere are in constant development.Natural gas,primarily made up of methane,is being widely used as one reliable energy source for heating and electricity generation due to its high combustion value.Currently,natural gas accounts for a large portion of electricity generation and chemical feedstock in manufacturing plastics and other commercially important organic chemicals.In the near future,natural gas will be widely used as a fuel for vehicles.Therefore,a practical storage device for its storage and transportation is very beneficial to the deployment of natural gas as an energy source for new technologies.In this tutorial review,biomaterials-based carbon monoliths(CMs),one kind of carbonaceous material,was reviewed as an adsorbent for natural gas(methane)adsorption and storage.

Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity of C-TiO_2 Thin Films Prepared by Magnetron Sputtering and Post-carbon Ion Implantation

TiO2 thin films were fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering on titanium substrates and then implanted with different amounts of carbon. The microstructure, valence states and optical characteristics of each sample were investigated by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV-vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy. Photoelectric property was evaluated under visible light using a xenon lamp as illuminant. The experimental results indicate that the implanting carbon concentration has a significant infl uence on film＇s micro structure and element valence states. The dominant valence states of carbon vary as carbon content increases. Carbon ion implantation remarkably enhances the current density and photocatalytic capability of TiO2 thin films. The optimized implanting content is 9.83×10^17 ion/cm^2, which gives rise to a 150% increased photocurrent and degradation rate.