Carboxyl group functionalization of mesoporous carbon nanocage through reaction with ammonium persulfate

Carbon nanocage, a three dimensional cage type mesoporous carbon with very high surface area and pore volume, has been functionalized with carboxyl groups for the first time via a simple oxidation using ammonium persulfate solution (APS). The carboxyl groups functionalized carbon nanocage materials have been unambiguously characterized by various sophisticated instruments such as FT-IR, HRSEM-EDX, XRD, nitrogen adsorption, and HRTEM. The degree of carboxyl group functionalization has been controlled by the simple adjustment of the oxidation parameters such as oxidation time, APS concentration and oxidation temperature. FT-IR spectroscopy combined with the HRSEM-EDX has been used to provide a quantitative analysis of the carboxyl groups on the surface of the carbon nanocage materials before and after the APS treatment. In addition, the effect of the oxidation parameters on the structural order and the textural parameters of the carbon nanocage materials has been studied. It has been found that the role of oxidation parameters is highly critical to obtain carbon nanocage materials with a high density of carboxyl groups without affecting the structural order and the pore parameters. Thus, the reaction parameters have been carefully optimized and the best condition for the preparation of carboxyl group functionalized carbon nanocage with well-ordered structure has been proposed.