Characterization of the dependence on temperature of the formation of carbon film on the internal surfaces of SBA-15 silica

The dependence of pore size of carbon-coated ordered channels of mesoporous SBA-15 on temperature is reported for the first time from characterization of as-synthesized SBA-15 after graphitization under nitrogen at relatively high temperatures. The pore sizes of the obtained products changed, respectively, from 6.8 to 7.9 and 7.3 nm, corresponding to graphitization temperature of 800–600 and 500 °C. The formation of carbon from the template acts as a framework support that reduces the shrinkage of the pores when as-synthesized SBA-15 is heat treated at high temperature under nitrogen, resulting in materials with larger pores than in calcined SBA-15. Thus, adjusting the heat-treating temperature can control the pore size of the resultant carbon-coated samples. This is likely to play an important role in its potential use as adsorbents or in electrochemistry.