Studies in Formation and Properties of Carbon-Oxygen Surface Complexes. Part III. Effect of the Complexes on Sorption of Water and Benzene Vapours by Charcoals and Carbon blacks

A study of water and benzene sorption isotherms on various samples of charcoal and carbon black coated with different types of carbon-oxygen surface complexes snows that the presence of acidic CO₂ - complex imparts a Palar and hydrophilic character to the carbon surface whereby adsorption of water is enhanced at all relative vapour pressures. The complex appears to provide sites where additional water is sorbed through a mechanism probably involving hydrogen bonding. The non-acidic CO₂ -complex and the CO-complex are not involved much in influencing the water isotherms. The CO-complex, however, improves adsorbability of benzene vs.pours which is probably due to interaction of π electron.11 of benzene with quinone groups present as a part of CO-complex.