One‐stage Template‐free KOH Activation for Mesopore‐enriched Carbons and Their Application in CO 2 Capture

Activated carbons with a high mesoporous structure were prepared by a one‐stage KOH activation process without the assistance of templates and further used as adsorbents for CO 2 capture. The physical and chemical properties as well as the pore structures of the resulting mesoporous carbons were characterized by N 2 adsorption isotherms, scanning electron microscopy ( SEM ), X‐ray diffraction ( XRD ), Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared ( FTIR ) spectroscopy. The activated carbon showed greater specific surface area and mesopore volume as the activation temperature was increased up to 600°C, showing a uniform pore structure, great surface area (up to ~815 m 2 /g), and high mesopore ratio (~55%). The activated sample exhibited competitive CO 2 adsorption capacities at 1 atm pressure, reaching 2.29 and 3.4 mmol/g at 25 and 0°C, respectively. This study highlights the potential of well‐designed mesoporous carbon as an adsorbent for CO 2 removal and widespread gas adsorption applications.