One-step liquid metal interfacial engineering strategy to synthesize hierarchical porous carbon materials for the cycloaddition of CO2 with epoxides

This study develops a one-step liquid metal interfacial engineering strategy for synthesizing hierarchical porous carbon materials. Innovatively integrating porous structure construction and carbon-chlorine (C–Cl) bond introduction into a single process, this strategy overcomes the limitations of traditional methods that require separate template synthesis and post-functionalization. In this strategy, polystyrene (PS) nanospheres are introduced as pore-forming agents. Through the synergistic interaction between sodium-potassium (NaK) alloy (liquid metal) and carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) at room temperature, hierarchical porous structures (mesopores and macropores) with abundant surface C–Cl bonds are successfully prepared. As active precursors for subsequent functionalization, C–Cl bonds can efficiently graft imidazole and bromoethyl groups. The resulting functionalized carbon materials exhibit excellent catalytic performance in the cycloaddition reaction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) with epoxides (e.g., 99.1 % conversion and 99.3 % selectivity for styrene oxide), demonstrating the practical value of this synthesis method. This one-step strategy features room-temperature operation, no need for complex equipment, and simultaneous realization of structural regulation and functional group introduction, providing a new approach for the design and preparation of high-performance functionalized carbon materials.