Polyaspartic Acid-Derived Micro-/Mesoporous Carbon for Ultrahigh H₂ and CH₄ Adsorption

A poly(amino acid)-based approach for scalable synthesis of micro-/mesoporous carbon (PC) with high specific surface area and narrow distribution of micro- and mesopores is presented. Using cross-linked poly aspartic acid as a precursor, PC was obtained by in situ one-step carbonization without the activating agent. The resulting PC had an ultrahigh adsorption capacity for H₂ (4.43 wt %) and CH₄ (4.49 mmol g^-1). This novel method could significantly decrease the wastewater hazards caused by washout of the considerable amount of the activating agent. The PC showed promising application in gas adsorption and storage.