The evolution of nanotechnology over the past 20 years has allowed researchers to use a wide variety of techniques and instruments to synthesize and characterize new materials on the nano scale. Due to their size, these nano materials have a wide variety of interesting properties, including, high tensile strength, novel electronic and optical properties and high surface areas. In any absorption system, a high surface areas is desirable, making carbon nano materials ideal candidates for use in absorption systems. To that end, we have prepared a variety of nano carbons, single walled carbon nanotubes, multi walled carbon nanotubes, graphite intercalation compounds, graphite oxide, phenylalanine modified graphite and fullerenes, for the absorption of carbon dioxide. These nano carbons are functionalized with the polymer, polyethyleneimine, and fully characterized using Raman spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, solid state 13 C NMR, and thermogravimetric analysis. The carbon dioxide absorption potential of the PEI-nano carbons was evaluated using thermogravimetric analysis at standard room temperature and pressure. We have demonstrated the high gravimetric capacity of carbon dioxide capture on these materials with extremely high capacities for PEI-C 60 .

Nano-scaled carbons were produced by thermal treatment of pine wood chips and bio-char. The influence of temperature, heating rate, pyrolysis time, and type and flow rate of purge gas on the production of nano-carbons was investigated. Using TEM and SEM, different carbon-based nanomaterials were observed in the prepared samples. The effect of metal ion doping on the bio-char was also investigated. Highly functionalized nano carbonaceous materials were synthesized by low temperature hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) using glucose, sucrose, xylose, and cellulose. Carbon-encapsulated iron (Fe@C) core-shell particles were also synthesized by the HTC method and used as catalyst for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis to produce liquid hydrocarbons from syngas; it showed excellent activity. Nano-structured Co-Mo carbides over several nano-sized carbon materials were prepared using the carbothermal reduction and carbothermal hydrogen reduction methods. Nano-structured Co-Mo carbides derived from Vulcan® XC-72 were used as the catalyst to produce higher alcohols.