Very high surface area microporous carbon with a three-dimensional nano-array structure: Synthesis and its molecular structure

By using zeolite Y as a template, a novel microporous carbon with a three-dimensional nano-array structure was prepared. The arrangement and periodicity of this array are identical to those of supercages in zeolite Y crystal. The carbon has a surprisingly high BET surface area (3600 m²/g) with almost no mesoporosity. This carbon may be comprised of very curved graphene sheets whose faceting and curvature are accommodated to the curved inner surface of the zeolite nanochannels.