Influence of surface chemistry on the SAXS response of polymer-based activated carbons

Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements using contrast variation are reported for activated carbons prepared from poly(ethyleneterephthalate). The carbon surfaces are functionalized to different degrees by cold and hot nitric acid treatment. The latter treatment reduces the surface area by 75%, but the pore size distribution in the micropore range is hardly affected. Seven liquids, n-hexane, i-octane, i-propanol, cyclohexane, toluene, alpha-pinene, and nitrobenzene, in addition to water vapor, were used as contrast modifiers. Although the values of the specific surface area S(X) deduced from these measurements are relatively insensitive to the solvent, the detailed SAXS spectra reveal interactions occurring on different spatial scales that depend on the surface chemistry of the carbon and on the physicochemical properties of the solvent. In the most heavily oxidized sample, the amphiphilic molecule i-propanol stabilizes the surface structure, whereas nonpolar molecules make the rough surface smoother. In the untreated and the lightly functionalized carbons, water vapor at 50% relative humidity condenses only partially in the micropores at room temperature, whereas in the heavily treated sample condensation in the micropores is practically complete.