SULFUR-DOPED POROUS CARBON DERIVED FROM HEAVY HYDROCARBONS AND METHODS FOR PRODUCTION THEREOF

Sulfur-crosslinked olefins, particularly sulfur-crosslinked heavy hydrocarbon products having one or more sulfur-crosslinked olefin moieties, may undergo pyrolysis to form sulfur-doped porous carbon having high BET surface area values. Pyrolysis to form the sulfur-doped porous carbon may be particularly efficacious in the presence of a hydroxide base. BET surface areas up to 2000 m2/g or even higher may be obtained. Such sulfur-doped porous carbon may be prepared by combining a heavy hydrocarbon product with sulfur, heating to a first temperature state to form a liquefied reaction mixture containing a sulfur-crosslinked heavy hydrocarbon, homogeneously mixing a hydroxide base with the liquefied reaction mixture, and pyrolyzing the sulfur-crosslinked heavy hydrocarbon to form sulfur-doped porous carbon.