Strategies for Pore-Diameter Control in Mesoporous Carbons Derived from Organic Self-Assembly Processes

Abstract Soft-templating techniques have greatly facilitated access to (ordered) mesoporous carbon materials. A key strength of these approaches is that the resulting material can be shaped by a multitude of parameters – rendering soft-templating inherently versatile regarding features such as pore arrangement or pore sizes. Nonetheless, rational manipulation of pore sizes/diameters, let alone a systematic variation thereof, remains a formidable challenge with high relevance for research fields as diverse as catalysis, sensing or energy storage and conversion. Thus, this Short Review aims to provide a structured account of the most frequently employed strategies to impact mesopore diameters in carbon materials derived via soft-templating. 1. Introduction 2. Carbonization Temperature 3. Stoichiometry 4. Swelling Agents 5. Design of Polymeric SDAs/Templates 6. Conclusions and Outlook