Cl2 Adsorption and Desorption over Ordered Mesoporous Carbon Materials as an Indicator for Catalytic Phosgene Formation

The presented work evaluates the implementation of adsorption and desorption experiments with Cl₂ over carbon materials towards the development of more active and stable catalysts for industrial phosgene synthesis. By using a soft templating method as a tool, ordered mesoporous carbon materials with tunable porosity, surface area, and degree of graphitization were synthesized and utilized as model system. The Cl₂ adsorption/desorption properties of these materials were studied and compared to commercial activated carbon. To draw correlations between Cl₂ adsorption/desorption behavior and catalytic performance, the materials were further tested in the phosgene formation in a plug flow reactor. However, the chemical reaction of Cl₂ with carbon during the adsorption/desorption experiment hinders a direct correlation.