Preparation and Characterization of Bamboo-based Activated Carbon for Low-level CO₂ Adsorption

An activated carbon adsorbent for dry capture of low concentration (3000 ppm) carbon dioxide (CO₂), which is frequently found in public indoor spaces, was prepared from domestic bamboo. The intrinsic properties of bamboo with a high potassium content and narrow open channels could enhance selectivity for CO₂ molecules. The bamboo activated carbon (BAC) was composed mainly of micropores with an average pore size of 0.7 nm, and showed a specific surface area of 984 m²/g. Amine functionalities such as pyridine, pyrrole and quaternary-N were formed on the surface of BAC through dry amination, resulting in a high adsorption capacity with 43.13 mg/g for low-level CO₂ and 79.2 mg/g for pure CO₂ flow at the ambient condition. This result shows the possibility of manufacturing an adsorbent using domestic natural resources, as imports of biomaterials have recently been restricted.