In situ synthesis of N and Cu functionalized mesoporous FDU-14 resins and carbons for electrochemical hydrogen storage

N and Cu cooperatively functionalized mesoporous resin and carbon materials with bicontinuous cubic structure (FDU-14) were obtained by a novel synthesis method. In this method, block copolymers were used as the templates as well as the precursors for the preparation of these modifying mesoporous materials. The CuC₂O₄ in the channels of mesoporous FDU-14 resins was gotten by in situ oxidation of the templates in a catalytic redox system containing Cu²⁺, Al³⁺, NO₃^-, PO₄^3-, SO₄^2- ions. Simultaneously, the phenol-formaldehyde resin frameworks were in situ functionalized by the amine group resulting from the reduction of NO₃^-, leading to the formation of N and CuC₂O₄ modified mesoporous FDU-14 resin materials. Its pyrolysis at the different temperatures resulted in the production of N and Cu cooperatively functionalized mesoporous FDU-14 resin and carbon materials. The structure and composition of these materials were characterized by the X-ray power diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, N₂ adsorption-desorption analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry analysis, and inductive coupled plasma emission spectroscopy. The electrochemical measurement indicated that N and Cu cooperatively functionalized mesoporous FDU-14 carbon materials possessed the enhanced electrochemical hydrogen storage performance.