3D Hierarchical Micro-/Mesoporous Biomass Carbon Aerogels with an Ultrahigh Specific Surface Area for Enhanced Adsorptive Removal of Gaseous p-Xylene

Carbon aerogel, as a novel porous adsorbent material, is highly promising for use in adsorption of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from industrial exhaust emission. In this study, cellulose was used as a carbon precursor. A green, effective biomass carbon aerogel (BCA/Six-F127y) with an ultrahigh specific surface area and high adsorption performance was prepared by a combined soft template–chemical activation method. Results showed that the optimal material BCA/Si0.50-F1270.25 had a layered micro-/mesoporous structure with a specific surface area of up to 1966.03 m2 g–1 and a total pore volume of 1.38 cm3 g–1, which exhibited highly efficient adsorptive removal of gaseous p-xylene. The maximum theoretical adsorption capacity was 540.54 mg g–1. The main adsorption mechanisms are microporous filling, hydrogen bonding, and π–π conjugation. Therefore, this study expands the application prospect of carbon aerogels in the field of adsorption and provides a reference for industrial VOC pollution control.