Porous carbons have several advantageous properties with respect to their use in energy applications that require constrained space such as in electrode materials for supercapacitors and as solid state hydrogen stores. The attractive properties of porous carbons include, ready abundance, chemical and thermal stability, ease of processability and low framework density. Activated carbons, which are perhaps the most explored class of porous carbons, have been traditionally employed as catalyst supports or adsorbents, but lately they are increasingly being used or find potential applications in the fabrication of supercapacitors and as hydrogen storage materials. This manuscript presents the state-of-the-art with respect to the preparation of activated carbons, with emphasis on the more interesting recent developments that allow better control or maximization of porosity, the use of cheap and readily available precursors and tailoring of morphology. This review will show that the renewed interest in the synthesis of activated carbons is matched by intensive investigations into their use in supercapacitors, where they remain the electrode materials of choice. We will also show that activated carbons have been extensively studied as hydrogen storage materials and remain a strong candidate in the search for porous materials that may enable the so-called Hydrogen Economy, wherein hydrogen is used as an energy carrier. The use of activated carbons as energy materials has in the recent past and is currently experiencing rapid growth, and this review aims to present the more significant advances.

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Energy storage applications of activated carbons: supercapacitors and hydrogen storage

Adsorption of VOCs onto engineered carbon materials: A review

A review on surface modification of activated carbon for carbon dioxide adsorption

Recent progress in syntheses of porous carbons with designed pore architecture has rejuvenated the field of carbon chemistry and promises to provide new advanced materials. In order to reap the full benefit of designer carbons, it is necessary to develop chemistries for functionalizing the porous carbon surfaces. This Review examines methods of functionalizing porous carbon through direct incorporation of heteroatoms in the carbon synthesis, surface oxidation and activation, halogenation, sulfonation, grafting, attachment of nanoparticles and surface coating with polymers. Methods of characterizing the functionalized carbon materials and applications that benefit from functionalized nanoporous carbons with designed architecture are also highlighted.

Functionalization of Porous Carbon Materials with Designed Pore Architecture

Surface functional groups of carbons and the effects of their chemical character, density and accessibility to ions on electrochemical performance

An investigation was conducted on the introduction of amino groups to the surface of activated carbon and the adsorption characteristics of the aminated surface. The organic chemical reactions allowed us to introduce amino groups to the surface of activated carbon without affecting the physical structure of the adsorbent. The introduction of amino groups lowered the adsorbancy of activated carbon in the adsorption of benzoic acid from solution, while it produced a remarkably favorable effect in the adsorption of NO in the gas phase.

Amination of Activated Carbon and Adsorption Characteristics of Its Aminated Surface

Of 140 newly synthesized chalcone-analogous materials, 56 specimens were observed to be efficient for nonlinear optical second harmonic generation (SHG). The SHG efficiency of 3-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(3-pyridyl)-2-propen-1-one is discussed on the basis of crystal structure and MO calculation. In this crystal, molecules arrange themselves almost ideal manner for SHG.

Novel Organic SHG Materials

Three forms of crystals were obtained from mixed solutions of phenothiazine and SbCl5; the crystal structure of the monoclinic(I) modification was determined using 2827 reflections at room temperature. Crystal data: (C12H9NS)+·SbCl6−, F.W.=533.7, monoclinic, a=16.253(3), b=14.334(1), c=15.786(3) A, β=104.07(1)°, space group C2/c, Dm=2.00, Dx=1.99 g cm−3, Z=8, μ=25.73 cm−1 (Mo Kα). The structure was solved by the heavyatom method and refined by block-diagonal least-squares method to R=0.072. The crystal consists of phenothiazine cation radicals(PT+·) and hexachloroantimonate anions(SbCl6−), and every ion exists as a monomer in the crystal. Each SbCl6− forms a distorted octahedron. The two C–S distances of PT+· are 1.705 and 1.711 A, and the C–S–C angle is 103.9°. The dihedral angle between the two outer phenyl rings of PT+· is 176.5°. From the ESR measurements of a single crystal, three principal g-values were determined: g1=2.003, g2=2.007 and g3=2.008. The direction of g1 is normal to the molecular plane...

Crystal structure and related properties of phenothiazine cation radical-hexachloroantimonate. Monoclinic(I) form.

Preparation of liposomes containing Ceramide 3 and their membrane characteristics.

Structural determination of the first zirconocene–olefin complex, i.e., Cp2Zr(PhCH=CHPh)(PMe3), by X-ray crystallography is presented. Zirconium–olefin complexes such as ethylene and butene complexes can be selectively prepared in high yields from dialkylzirconocenes. On treatment of Cp2Zr(CH3)(PhCH2CH2) with, PMe3 a styrene complex 5 was obtained in good yield.

Kozo Kozawa

Papers

Amination of Activated Carbon and Adsorption Characteristics of Its Aminated Surface

Novel Organic SHG Materials

Crystal structure and related properties of phenothiazine cation radical-hexachloroantimonate. Monoclinic(I) form.

Preparation of liposomes containing Ceramide 3 and their membrane characteristics.

Zirconocene–Alkene Complexes. An X-Ray Structure and a Novel Preparative Method