title: A direct and quantitative three-dimensional reconstruction of the internal structure of disordered mesoporous carbon with tailored pore size.
abstract: A new technique that allows direct three-dimensional (3D) investigations of mesopores in carbon materials and quantitative characterization of their physical properties is reported. Focused ion beam nanotomography (FIB-nt) is performed by a serial sectioning procedure with a dual beam FIB-scanning electron microscopy instrument. Mesoporous carbons (MPCs) with tailored mesopore size are produced by carbonization of resorcinol-formaldehyde gels in the presence of a cationic surfactant as a pore stabilizer. A visual 3D morphology representation of disordered porous carbon is shown. Pore size distribution of MPCs is determined by the FIB-nt technique and nitrogen sorption isotherm methods to compare both results. The obtained MPCs exhibit pore sizes of 4.7, 7.2, and 18.3 nm, and a specific surface area of ca. 560 m(2)/g.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Nanomateriales y Mesomateriales, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Agencia Postal No 3, 5800 Río Cuarto, Argentina.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Balach
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Soldera
authors.forename: Diego F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Acevedo
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mücklich
authors.forename: César A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Barbero