Carbon sorbent-azobenzene hybrids for carbon capture and methods of producing and/or using said hybrids

A carbon-based sorbent configured for improved carbon capture, the carbon-based sorbent comprising:

• at least one modified carbon-based sorbent comprising:
• mesoporous carbon surfaces configured to improve selective CO2 adsorption;
• and
• at least one carbonaceous material selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, biomass-derived materials, polymer-based synthetic porous or mesoporous carbon, carbonized carbohydrates, and combinations thereof,
• wherein
• the mesoporous carbon surfaces comprise one or more in-plane sites having at least one first nitrogen functionality and one or more out-of-plane sites having at least one second nitrogen functionality,
• wherein the at least one first nitrogen functionality is a different nitrogen functionality than the at least one second nitrogen functionality,
• wherein
• the one or more in-plane sites are one or more graphitic-N sites, one or more pyrrolic-N sites, one or more pyridinic-N sites, one or more pyridine-N sites, or a combination thereof, and
• wherein the one or more out-of-plane sites are one or more azobenzene-N sites.