Mesoporous activated carbon yielded from pre-leached cassava peels

Abstract The search for alternatives to fossil-based commercial activated carbon (AC) continues reveal new eco-friendly potential precursors, among which is agricultural waste. key research aspect in all these endeavors empirical ascertainment of the core properties resultant AC suit a particular purpose. These include: yield, surface area, pore volume, and active groups. It therefore pertinent have process conditions controlled tailored towards required AC. Pre-leaching cassava peels with NaOH followed by KOH activation carbonization at holding temperatures (780 °C) above melting point K (760 yielded mesoporous highest area ever reported peel-based were between 480 780 °C an activation–carbonization stepwise using as activator KOH:peel ratio 5:2 (mass basis). A 42% maximum yield was realized along total volume 0.756 cm 3 g ?1 BET 1684 m 2 . dominantly microporous below °C, but remarkable increase mesopore (0.471 ) relative micropore (0.281 observed °C. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy pre-treated showed distortion C–H bonding depicting possible elaboration more lignin from cellulose disruption NaOH. carboxylate stretch also owing reaction Na + ions carboxyl group raw peels. FTIR absorption bands 1425 1712 wave numbers. Besides botanical qualities peel genotype used, pre-leaching increasing temperature boiling potassium enabled modified producing highly porous peel. scanning electron microscope (SEM) transmission (TEM) imaging well-developed hexagonal pores intercalated profile matrices, respectively.