Sustainable nitrogen/carbon precursors for the synthesis of N-containing ordered mesoporous carbons conceived for CO2 capture

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology is one of the main strategies developed for mitigating the alarming increase of carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere, responsible for the greenhouse effect. Ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) and especially N-containing ordered mesoporous carbons (NOMCs) have been applied as CO2 adsorbents. They are considered as an interesting option for the possibility of conveniently tuning the porous structure with the aim of optimizing the capture performances and the kinetics of gas diffusion. Moreover, the nitrogen species in NOMCs create basic sites that promote the interaction with the acidic CO2 molecule, fostering in this way also a selective adsorption in a gas mixture. One of the drawbacks of the synthesis of OMCs and NOMCs is the use of toxic carbon/nitrogen sources (e.g. furfuryl alcohol, resorcinol, pyrrole, melamine…) or the addition of post-synthesis treatments with ammonia or amines for the nitrogen doping process.