N2 and H2 adsorption behavior of KOH-activated ordered mesoporous carbon

Ordered mesoporous carbon, referred to as CMK-3, was synthesized by replication from SBA-15. Activated CMK-3 with developed pore structures provided a large surface area and higher hydrogen adsorption capacities after KOH activation at 1073–1223 K. To characterize the pore structure of the activated samples, N2 and H2 adsorption were measured at 77 K. The hydrogen adsorption of activated CMK-3 increased to 2.26 wt.% at an activation temperature of 1173 K due to the formation of micropores. Thus, KOH activation was not only one of the most effective methods for developing porosity, but also raised the hydrogen storage capacity of CMK-3.