N-Doped Activated Carbons from Polypyrrole – Effect of Steam Activation Conditions

Abstract

Polypyrrole (PPy) has been prepared by oxidative polymerization of pyrrole and used as a raw material for the preparation of N-doped activated carbons. Thus, PPy has been pyrolyzed at 900 °C and then activated with steam under different activation conditions (time and temperature). This has allowed for the preparation of activated carbons with different porosity development and nitrogen content, as well as distinctive distribution of nitrogen species. It has been observed that the presence of nitrogen functionalities favors water adsorption at low relative pressures but, at relative pressures higher than 0.5 it is determined by the porosity development.