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However, the simultaneous evolution of oxygen and nitrogen functional groups\u2014especially in carbon precursors with high oxygen content\u2014has received limited attention. In this study, coal-derived ACs with high surface areas (up to 940\u00a0m\n                    <jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup>\n                    \/g) and micropore volumes (0.36\u00a0cm\n                    <jats:sup>3<\/jats:sup>\n                    \/g) were synthesized via K\n                    <jats:sub>2<\/jats:sub>\n                    CO\n                    <jats:sub>3<\/jats:sub>\n                    -assisted physical activation, followed by nitrogen doping through co-pyrolysis with melamine. By regulating the doping temperature (600\u2013900\u00a0\u00b0C), the nitrogen content of the resulting samples ranged from 1.44 to 7.68 at%, while the oxygen content varied from 6.89 to 10.39 at%. After decoupling the influences of porosity, we found that a well-balanced distribution of N and O functionalities, especially pyrrolic nitrogen, ether (C\u2013O\u2013C), and hydroxyl (C\u2013O\u2013H) groups, was critical for enhancing CO\n                    <jats:sub>2<\/jats:sub>\n                    and H\n                    <jats:sub>2<\/jats:sub>\n                    O adsorption. NAC-600 exhibited the most favorable surface chemistry for the adsorption of CO\n                    <jats:sub>2<\/jats:sub>\n                    (15\u00a0vol%) and H\n                    <jats:sub>2<\/jats:sub>\n                    O (20% RH), achieving capacities of 41\u202fmg\/g and 59.9\u202fmg\/g, respectively. In contrast, NAC-900, prepared at the highest N-doping temperature, exhibited the best surface chemistry for toluene adsorption (550\u00a0mg\/cm\n                    <jats:sup>3<\/jats:sup>\n                    ), attributed to its higher degree of graphitization and the presence of graphitic N and ether groups. This work offers a rational design strategy for improving the multicomponent gas adsorption performance of activated carbons for flue gas treatment.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-025-13430-4","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,1]],"date-time":"2025-08-01T10:36:55Z","timestamp":1754044615000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":23,"title":["Engineering nitrogen and oxygen functionalities in naturally sourced activated carbon for multicomponent gas adsorption"],"prefix":"10.1038","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Xiupeng","family":"Cheng","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zhipeng","family":"Qie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Huaizhong","family":"Xiang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zhongbao","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Limingxin","family":"Zong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wenqi","family":"He","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xinxin","family":"Pi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hassan","family":"Alhassawi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Peiyao","family":"Cao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Guang","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shuangshuang","family":"Gao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,1]]},"reference":[{"issue":"9","key":"13430_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1609","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cherd.2010.11.005","volume":"89","author":"M Wang","year":"2011","unstructured":"Wang, M., Lawal, A., Stephenson, P., Sidders, J. & Ramshaw, C. 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