Activated carbons modified by magnesium oxide as highly efficient sorbents for acetone

Porous activated carbon modified with MgO was synthesized by an evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) method for its application to acetone capture. The textural and chemical characteristics of five modified activated carbon composites (AC–MgO) were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption isotherm measurements. The adsorption behaviors of samples for acetone were investigated and correlated to their physical and chemical properties. Density functional theory was also employed to calculate the charge transfer, the equilibrium distance, and the adsorption energy of acetone adsorbed on a carbon surface functionalized with crystalline MgO. An AC–MgO-10% sample with balanced surface area, microporosity and MgO content exhibited the highest acetone adsorption capacity (432.7 mg g(−1)). The results indicate that an appropriate MgO content on AC can effectively improve the adsorption capacity of acetone ascribed to strong chemisorption between MgO nanoparticles and acetone molecules.