sp3‐Linked Amorphous Carbon with Sulfonic Acid Groups as a Heterogeneous Acid Catalyst

Abstract SO 3 H‐bearing amorphous carbon prepared from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is studied as a heterogeneous Brønsted acid catalyst. Sulfonation of partially carbonized PVC produces amorphous carbon consisting of small SO 3 H‐bearing carbon sheets linked by sp 3 ‐based aliphatic hydrocarbons. This carbon material exhibits much higher catalytic performance in the hydrolysis of cellobiose than conventional heterogeneous Brønsted acid catalysts with SO 3 H groups, including SO 3 H‐bearing amorphous carbon derived from cellulose. This can be attributed to a high density of SO 3 H groups and the fast diffusion of reactants and products enabled by a flexible carbon network.