Direct Triblock-Copolymer-Templating Synthesis of Highly Ordered Fluorinated Mesoporous Carbon

Abstract

Highly ordered mesoporous carbons have been synthesized from a direct triblock-copolymer-templating process of organic–organic self-assembly. The organic precursors are phenol, formaldehyde, and a functional monomer of p-fluorophenol, and the organic structure directing agent is triblock copolymer Pluronic F127. Characterization using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and nitrogen adsorption techniques reveals that the fluorinated carbons possess highly ordered mesostructures, high surface areas (693–998 m2/g), large pore sizes (3.0–4.4 nm), large pore volumes (0.43–0.70 cm3/g), and C–F covalent bonds after high-temperature carbonization at 900 °C. Various mesostructures such as 2D hexagonal and 3D body-centered cubic structures can be synthesized by simply tuning the ratios of p-fluorophenol/phenol or phenol/triblock copolymer. The fluorinated mesoporous carbon modified glassy carbon (GC) electrode exhibits higher electron transfer rate than both pure mesoporous carbon FDU-15 modified and bare GC electrodes. This result further indicates the fluorination of mesoporous carbons and the potential for fluorinated mesoporous carbons in electrocatalytic reactions.