N-containing carbons from styrene–divinylbenzene copolymer by urea treatment

N-containing synthetic carbons with narrow porosity were prepared from a chlorinated styrene and divinylbenzene copolymer by a multistep method with a yield of 34 wt%. Surface chemical treatment and thermal carbonization of the starting copolymer was monitored by urea impregnation. Steam activation, oxidation and an additional heat treatment gave the final product. The synthesis route was designed in a cost-effective way. The porosity and the concentration of the introduced nitrogen atoms were determined at each step. The final product has a surface area of 1135 m2/g. More than 70% of the pore volume comes from micropores with an average width of 0.7 nm. The 2.3 at.% surface nitrogen atoms are distributed among five detectable species, of which about 44% is quaternary nitrogen.