Hierarchically porous graphitic carbon monoliths containing nickel nanoparticles as magnetically separable adsorbents for dyes

The hierarchically porous graphitic carbon monoliths containing nickel nanoparticles (HPGCM‐Ni) were fabricated via multi‐component co‐assembly in polyurethane (PU) foam scaffold associated with a direct carbonization process from triblock copolymer F127, diblock copolymer PDMS‐PEO, phenolic resol, and nickel nitrate and subsequent silicates removal with NaOH solution. The decomposable PU foam scaffold played important role in the process of multi‐component co‐assembly and macrostructure formation. The nickel salts were reduced to metallic Ni nanoparticles during the carbonization process. The obtained HPGCM‐Ni materials exhibited macropores of 100–450 μm, mesopore size of 7.2 nm, BET surface area of 725 m 2 g −1 , pore volume of 0.74 cm 3 g −1 , and saturation magnetization of 2.3 emu g −1 . Using methyl orange as model dye pollutant in water, HPGCM‐Ni samples showed good adsorption capacity of 440 mg g −1 , exhibiting excellent adsorption characteristics desirable for the application in adsorption of dyes and separation under an external magnetic field. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132 , 41322.