Spherical Mesoporous Carbon Adsorbents for Sorption, Concentration, and Extraction of Nicotine and Other Components of Cigarette Smoke

Spherical carbon adsorbents have been synthesized with introduction of mesoporous MCM-48; their adsorption activity towards toxic components of cigarette smoke including nicotine has been studied with the purpose of application as fillers for filters in smoking rooms. The structure-sorption properties of the surface, as well as the composition of the surface layer of the carbon material, have been examined by means of low-temperature adsorption/desorption of nitrogen, X-ray photoelectron and IR-spectroscopy, and pH- and conductometric titration. It has been demonstrated that upon carbonization and activation the surface layer of the synthesized carbon adsorbents contained protolytically active carboxyl (0.1; 0.35 mmol/g) and hydroxyl groups, as well as a wide range of other oxygen-containing groups. The synthesized material has demonstrated a narrow pore size distribution (5–9 nm), while micropores were virtually absent. It has been established that the spherical mesoporous activated carbon synthesized in the present study with having a developed specific surface area of 1680 m2/g and the sorption capacity towards nicotine of 9.2 mmol/g has demonstrated superior properties exceeding those of the commercially produced material. Total chemical regeneration of the adsorbents (up to five to seven cycles) has been achieved through extraction by organic solvents (chloroform or methanol) without subsequent thermal treatment. Interaction of gaseous products of cigarettes burning with the spherical carbon samples occurred throughout the whole volume and not only on the external surface. It has been demonstrated that the investigated adsorbents can be applied in both stationary smoking rooms and cabins equipped with autonomous ventilation.