Activated carbon
[CAS 64365-11-3]

Identification

• Classification: Catalysts and additives >> Molecular sieve
• Name: Activated carbon
• Synonyms: Activated charcoal
• Molecular Formula: C
• Molecular Weight: 12.01
• CAS Registry Number: 64365-11-3
• EC Number: 264-846-4
• SMILES: [C]

Safety Data

• Hazard Symbols: GHS02 Warning
• Risk Statements: H252
• Safety Statements: P235-P280-P407-P410-P413-P420

Hazard Classification

Hazard	Class	Category Code	Hazard Statement
Self-heating substances or mixtures	Self-heat.	2	H252

chemBlink Chemical Story

Activated carbon matters because activation creates a vast internal pore surface in carbon, allowing adsorption to turn a common element into a powerful purification material. This connection between molecular structure and observable behavior is more informative than a simple list of uses. CAS 64365-11-3 identifies the substance in this chemBlink record, while its practical significance comes from the way its functional groups, composition, or material structure control reactivity and physical properties.

The broader lesson is that chemical identity alone does not determine performance. Conditions such as pH, temperature, formulation, concentration, molecular distribution, or biological environment can decide whether the same underlying chemistry is useful, inactive, or hazardous. For chemists, Activated carbon is therefore a useful case study in connecting molecular-scale behavior with a real laboratory, industrial, biological, or materials-science outcome.

References: U.S. FDA: Activated Carbon, CAS 64365-11-3; Marsh & Rodriguez-Reinoso, Activated Carbon

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