MCUT Research

Desalination/ 2026, Vol. 621, 119725

High-quality Carbons Mesostructured from Korea (CMK)-type carbons with adjustable mesostructure used as potential nanoadsorbent for enhanced tannic acid capture

Main authors: Tzong-Horng Liou, Bo-Chen Lai, Pie-Ying Wang, Teng-Yuan Zhang / MCUT

Ordered mesoporous carbon materials, CMK-1 and CMK-3, both are well-known members of the CMK family. This study is the first to simultaneously synthesize CMK-1, CMK-3-S, and CMK-3-T by using MCM-48, SBA-15-S, and SBA-15-T as silica template sources. CMK-3-S has a large pore size, low mass transfer resistance, high thermal stability, large particle size for easy recycling, and relatively low raw material price, making it suitable for producing industrial-grade nano-carbon products. These carbons were not pretreated or modified, which were easy to synthesize and mass produce. (論文連結)

CMK-3 and CMK-1 have uniform mesopores, various oxygen-containing functional groups, chemical inertness, favorable thermostability, large pore volumes, and high specific surface areas. These materials thus have potential applications in catalysis, environmental remediation, hydrogen storage, sensors, fuel cell, supercapacitors, and CO₂ capture.

This research offers a national blueprint for industrial wastewater remediation using cost-effective, mass-producible CMK nanoadsorbents. Globally, these materials significantly exceed commercial activated carbon performance in capturing toxic tannic acid, directly mitigating carcinogenic risks in drinking water. Furthermore, the versatile mesostructures of CMK carbons drive international innovation in CO₂ capture, fuel cells, and energy storage. This scalable technology provides a potent, sustainable tool for addressing pressing environmental and energy crises on a worldwide scale.