Anion Exchange Resin Based Porous Carbon Spheres for the Catalytic 1,2-Dehydrochlorination of Dichloroethane

Carbon spheres with hierarchical pore structure were successfully synthesized by using strongly basic anion exchange resins exchanged with silicate, followed by pyrolysis in an inert atmosphere and etching silica. As a result of the quaternary ammonium group in the anion exchange resin structure, these carbon spheres were doped with nitrogen. The performance of these carbon spheres in the catalytic dehydrochlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane (EDC) was improved with the increase of calcination temperature, and the carbon sphere 900-900-RC showed the highest conversion rate (96.7%) and a selectivity to vinyl chloride above 99%. The structural and surface properties of N-doped carbon spheres were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen sorption, and Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The result of these characterizations further verified that the quaternary nitrogen species are as effective as pyridine nitrogen species in this catalyst.