Effect of oxygen plasma treatment on gas adsorption behavior and surface structure of carbon spheres derived from phenol resin

Plasma treatment was applied on glasslike carbon spheres to modify their gas adsorption behavior. After the oxygen plasma treatment, a selective adsorption of CO₂ gas was obtained, almost no nitrogen adsorption being detected, at low temperatures. Surface morphology observed by using field-emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy was found to be changed after the oxygen plasma treatment.