Effects of pore size distribution of activated carbon (AC) on CuCl dispersion and CO adsorption for CuCl/AC adsorbent

[Display omitted] •High performance CuCl/AC adsorbent for CO was made by choosing appropriate AC.•Surface area and pore size distribution of AC determine the dispersion of CuCl.•High porosity of AC in the range of 0.7–2.5 nm benefits CO adsorption on CuCl/AC. Cu(I) adsorbents have high adsorption capacity and high selectivity for CO, thanks to the strong π-complexation bonds formed between CO and Cu(I) ions. It is important that the porous support for making Cu(I) adsorbents should have high surface area, however, the effect of pore size has never been reported. In the current study, Cu(I) adsorbents were prepared by impregnating activated carbons (ACs) with Cu(II) chloride and Cu(II) carboxylate, followed by heat treatment at mild condition in vacuum to get highly dispersed CuCl/AC adsorbents. Four ACs with different pore size distribution were studied as the supports for making CuCl/AC adsorbents. The pore size distribution characterized by Ar adsorption at 87 K was defined as ultramicropore (