Green synthesis of porous bamboo-based activated carbon with high VOCs adsorption performance via steam activation method

VOCs has serious impacts on the environment and humans due to its volatility. Activated carbon, as an adsorption material, has a rich pore structure and is widely used. This study uses fast-growing bamboo as a precursor and water vapor as a high-temperature activating agent to prepare environmentally friendly and green activated carbon adsorbent materials with high specific surface area and high adsorption performance. Microscopic observations show that natural bamboo has a regular porous fiber structure, which is conducive to the penetration of water vapor and the occurrence of activation reactions at high temperatures. BET tests show that the activation temperature has a significant impact on the specific surface area and pore size distribution of the final activated carbon product. When the activation temperature is 850 o C, the specific surface area can reach up to 1315 m²/g, and it exhibits high VOCs adsorption capacity and cyclic adsorption performance. This study provides a new approach for the environmentally friendly preparation of biomass carbon materials and expands the application prospects of carbon materials in the field of adsorption.