Acidity: A Key Parameter in Zeolite-Templated Carbon Formation.

This work reveals the crucial role of zeolite acidity in the synthesis of zeolite-templated carbons (ZTCs). While textural and chemical properties appear to be independent from acidity at a given synthesis temperature, the spin concentration in hybrid materials appears to be strongly impacted by the zeolite acid site concentration. The electrical conductivity of the hybrids and resulting ZTCs are closely related to the spin concentration in the hybrid materials. The amount of zeolite acid sites hence fundamentally impacts the electrical conductivity of the samples that spans over a range of four magnitudes. Electrical conductivity reveals as key parameter to describe the quality of ZTCs.