The carbonization of aromatic molecules with three-dimensional structures affords carbon materials with controlled pore sizes at the Ångstrom-level

Carbon materials with controlled pore sizes at the nanometer level have been obtained by template methods, chemical vapor desorption, and extraction of metals from carbides. However, to produce porous carbons with controlled pore sizes at the Angstrom-level, syntheses that are simple, versatile, and reproducible are desired. Here, we report a synthetic method to prepare porous carbon materials with pore sizes that can be precisely controlled at the Angstrom-level. Heating first induces thermal polymerization of selected three-dimensional aromatic molecules as the carbon sources, further heating results in extremely high carbonization yields (>86%). The porous carbon obtained from a tetrabiphenylmethane structure has a larger pore size (4.40 A) than those from a spirobifluorene (4.07 A) or a tetraphenylmethane precursor (4.05 A). The porous carbon obtained from tetraphenylmethane is applied as an anode material for sodium-ion battery. Porous carbon materials are used widely in catalysis, electrochemistry, or as sorbents, but pore size control continues to be a challenge in their syntheses. Here the authors show that the 3D molecular structure of the carbon sources allows to control the pore size of the resulting carbon materials at the Angstrom-level.