Activated Carbon Ammonization: Effects of the Chemical Composition of the Starting Material and the Treatment Temperature

N-containing carbon-based materials have been employed with claimed improved performance as adsorbent of acidic molecules, VOC and metallic ions, catalyst, electrocatalyst and supercapacitor. In this context, the present work provides valuable insights into the preparation of N-doped activated carbons (ACs) by thermal treatment in NH3 atmosphere (ammonization). A commercial AC was submitted to two kinds of pre-treatment: (i) reflux with dilute HNO3; (ii) thermal treatment up to 800 oC in inert atmosphere. The original and modified ACs were subjected to ammonization up to different temperatures. ACs with N content up to 8% were achieved. Nevertheless, the amount and type of inserted nitrogen depended on ammonization temperature and surface composition of the starting material. Remarkably, oxygenated acidic groups on the surface of the starting material favored nitrogen insertion at low temperatures, with formation of mostly aliphatic (amines, imides, and lactams), pyridinic and pyrrolic nitrogens. In turn, high temperatures provoked the decomposition of labile aliphatic functions. Therefore, the AC prepared from the sample pre-treated with HNO3, which had the highest content of oxygenated acidic groups among the materials submitted to ammonization, presented the highest N content after ammonization up to 400 oC, but the lowest content after ammonization up to 800 oC.