Influence of the surface properties of mesoporous carbon on the adsorption removal of ammonia under low concentration conditions

Abstract

Low concentration ammonia is a widespread indoor air contaminant, which represents a considerable hazard to human health. The removal of ammonia can be difficult, especially when it is present at very low concentrations. In this study, we developed a new kind of mesoporous carbon with a high capacity for removing ammonia by adsorption. The ammonia-removing performance of this mesoporous carbon material was much better than that of activated carbon treated with nitric acid. The mesoporous carbon was prepared using aluminum phosphate as a hard template and contained a large number of oxygen-containing functional groups on its surface. The characterization results showed that the surface carboxyl and lactone groups play an important role in the adsorption of ammonia. For example, these groups could act as acidic sites capable of reacting with ammonia, and could therefore be responsible for the high capacity of mesoporous carbon to remove low ammonia contaminants under low concentration conditions.