High-performance CO2 adsorption of jellyfish-based activated carbon with many micropores and various heteroatoms

In this study, microporous activated carbon was produced from jellyfish-based biomass to capture carbon dioxide (CO2), toward addressing one of the biggest modern problems. The surface functional groups and porosity of activated carbon derived from jellyfish were investigated according to the activation conditions. It was confirmed that the jellyfish-based porous carbon prepared by NaOH activation comprised many micropores that facilitated CO2 adsorption under the influence of Na and P present in the microstructure of the jellyfish. In addition, the JFBC-based activated carbon had surface functional groups such as nitrogen, calcium, and magnesium, which facilitated CO2. The jellyfish-based activated carbon shows very excellent CO2 adsorption capacity (9.52 mmol/g and 5.18 mmol/g at 273 K and 298 K, respectively) compared to activated carbon prepared from porous carbon-based adsorbents for CO2 capture. This performance is attributed to the microstructure and various heteroatoms of the jellyfish biochar. Therefore, this study may provide insight into new biomass with competitive adsorption power and without requiring complicated manufacturing steps.