Poly(vinylidene chloride) (PVDC)-derived nanoporous carbons were prepared by various activation methods: heat-treatment under an inert atmosphere, steam activation, and potassium hydroxide (KOH) activation at 873, 1073, and 1273 K. The pore structures of PVDC-derived nanoporous carbons were characterized by the N2 adsorption technique at 77 K. Heat treatment in an inert atmosphere increased the specific surface area and micropore volume with elevating temperature, while the average micropore width near 0.65 nm was not significantly changed, reflecting the characteristic pore structure of ultramicroporous carbon. Steam activation for PVDC at 873 and 1073 K also yielded ultramicroporosity. On the other hand, the steam activated sample at 1273 K had a wider average micropore width of 1.48 nm, correlating with a supermicropore. The KOH activation increased the micropore volume with elevating temperature, which is accompanied by enlargement of the average micropore width from 0.67 to 1.12 nm. The average pore widths of KOH-activated samples were strongly governed by the activation temperature. We expect that these approaches can be utilized to simply control the porosity of PVDC-derived nanoporous carbons.

• Hwan Jung Jung(Institute of Advanced Composite Materials, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Chiba University)
• Yong-Jung Kim(Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology)
• Dae Ho Lee(Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Chiba University)
• Jong Hun Han(Department of School of Applied Chemical Engineering, Chonnam National University)
• Kap Seung Yang(Department of Polyemer & Fiber System Engineering, Chonnam National University)
• Cheol-Min Yang(Institute of Advanced Composite Materials, Korea Institute of Science and Technology) Corresponding Author