Lecture: Zeolite-templated 3D Graphene-like Ordered Microporous Carbons 

Lecturer: Prof. Ryong Ryoo, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology 

Time: 15:00pm, Nov 25, 2016 

Location: Meeting Room 205 of Administration Building  

Abstract:   

Thermal carbonization of organic substances within porous inorganic template has been well known for many years as a synthetic route to nanoporous carbons. When the templating approach was applied to mesoporous templates, the template pores could be perfectly replicated into carbon frameworks. After removal of the templates, the template-free carbons exhibited highly ordered mesoporous structures inherited from the templates. However, when applied to zeolite templates, the templating approach suffered from diffusion limitations for common organic precursors. This caused failure to form rigid carbon frameworks, and also deposition of carbon outside the template pores. This problem was so far the chief obstacle to research activities on the zeolite-templated microporous carbons. Here, we demonstrate that graphene-like carbon frameworks can be selectively formed inside the zeolite micropores without carbon deposition at the external surfaces by incorporating carbonization transition metal catalysts into the zeolite pores. X-ray crystallographic analysis using zeolite single crystals shows that a curved graphene-like layer of carbon atoms is generated along the zeolite pore walls. Resultantly, the carbon products liberated from the zeolite templates are composed of uniform and ordered micropores with fully graphene-like frameworks. Furthermore, the synthesis can be scaled upreadily, which is important for various practical applicationssuch as absorbents, Li-ion batteries, and zeolite-like carbon catalysts. 

Introduction of Lecturer:    

Ryong Ryoo is currently taking the position of Director of the Centre for Nanomaterials and Chemical Reactions at Institute of Basic Science, as a Distinguished Professor in the Chemistry Department at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). He received his B.S. degree from Seoul National University in 1977 and M.S. from KAIST in 1979. He obtained a Ph.D. degree at Stanford University in 1986 with his thesis titled, ‘Pt clusters supported on Y zeolite’ under the supervision of Prof. Michel Boudart. After a one-year postdoctoral research period on solid-state NMR in the Prof. Alex Pines group at UC Berkeley in 1986, he started his faculty position at KAIST. He obtained the ‘Leading Scientist in Research Front’ award from Thomson Scientific in 2007 for his pioneering work on ordered mesoporous carbons. He received the Breck Award from the International Zeolite Association in 2010, which is regarded as the most prestigious award in the research field on zeolites and nanoporous materials. He was selected as the third person who had the ‘National Scientist’ title in Korea. His current research interests include Synthesis and characterization of functional nanoporous materials (zeolite, silica, carbon, polymer), heterogeneous catalysis, green chemistry, C1 chemistry, electrochemistry, photocatalysis. 

Selected publications: 

1. Lanthanum-catalysed synthesis of microporous 3D graphene-like carbons in a zeolite template, Nature, 535: 131-135 (2016) 

2. Direct observation of bond formation in solution with femtosecond X-ray scattering, Nature, 518: 385-389 (2015) 

3. Directing zeolite structures into hierarchically nanoporous architectures, Science, 333: 328-332 (2011)

4. Stable single-unit-cell nanosheets of zeolite MFI as active and long-lived catalysts, Nature, 461: 246-249 (2009)

5. Amphiphilic organosilane-directed synthesis of crystalline zeolite with tunable mesoporosity, Nature Materials, 5: 718-723 (2006)  

6. Ordered nanoporous polymer-carbon composites, Nature Materials, 2: 473-476 (2003) 

7. Ordered nanoporous arrays of carbon supporting high dispersions of platinum nanoparticles, Nature, 412: 169-172 (2001) 

8. Direct imaging of the pores and cages of three-dimensional mesoporous materials, Nature, 408: 449-453 (2000)