Porous carbon sorbent for carbon dioxide capture and methods of making and using same

A method for capturing and releasing carbon dioxide (CO2), comprising:

• contacting a nanoporous carbon (NPC) material with a CO2-containing gas stream, thereby at least partially absorbing CO2 in the form of molecules on surfaces and pores of the NPC material to form a sample, wherein the NPC material is prepared from one or more low fixed carbon feeds selected from the group consisting of a pyrolysis oil, a light cycle oil, a heavy cycle oil, an Arab light crude oil, an Arab extra light crude oil, a natural gas fluid, and mixtures thereof;
• releasing the CO2 from the sample by thermally heating the sample or exposing the sample to a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit;
• and
• collecting the CO2.