An investigation on the pore characteristics of dates stone based microwave activated carbon nanostructures

This article reports a comprehensive study on activating dates stone by microwave irradiation in the presence of a number of catalysts. Pore characteristics like average pore size, total surface area, total pores volume, mesopores surface area, mesopores volume and micropores volume as well as the FTIR, XRD and Raman analysis of the microwave activated samples are reported. FESEM micrographs depict very interesting coral shape porous structure for the activated carbon nanostructures (ACNs). Apart from micro and mesopores, almost cylindrical pores with a size in the range of 4 to 7 μm are formed on the surface of the ACNs. Activation time of 24 min produced the highest specific area of 427.9 m2·g−1. All the catalysts employed for pretreating the dates stone prior to activation, led to the loss of the integrity of the ACNs and a powder was obtained, with the exception of H3PO4 (specific surface area = 315.5 m2·g−1). The nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms of the activated samples were of type I (IUPAC classification), highlighting the dominance of micropores in the ACNs with average pore size of about 2 nm. In the case of H3PO4 pretreated activated sample, the highest mesopores surface area (85.7 m2·g−1) and mesopores volume (0.082 m3 g−1) was observed. The yield of microwave activated samples lies in the range of 13.8% to 26.7%. [Display omitted] •Highly micro/mesoporous activated carbon nanostructures (ACNs) were produced through Microwave activation of dates stone.•The ACNs showed interesting coral shape porous structure.•Specific surface area of the dates stone based ACNs was in the range of 204.2 to 427.9 m2·g−1.•H3PO4 pretreatment sowed a considerable effect on the porous structure of the ACNs.