CMK-3 carbons were synthesized varying the carbonization conditions and studying the effect of the templates calcined at different temperatures. The textural characterization of different SBA-15 templates calcined at 350, 450, and 550 °C shows a variation of the specific surface area below 10%. Based on the results, the SBA-15 obtained at 350 °C (the more affordable condition) was used as the final template for the CMK-3 synthesis. The results show that varying the time (from 2 to 6 h) and the temperature (from 600 to 900 °C) on the carbonization step, the textural, structural, and morphological properties of the carbons do not vary in a meaningful way. Thus, a CMK-3 carbon synthesized (using as template an SBA-15 calcined at 350 °C) obtained at 600 °C during 2 h was chosen to be used as adsorbent in hydrogen storage in order to stablish the relationship between the textural properties and its performance. Regarding the hydrogen storage, capacities of 15 mg H₂ g⁻¹ (1.5% w/w), and up to 28 mg H₂ g⁻¹ (2.8% w/w) were obtained at 1 and 10 bar, respectively. At high pressure, an important influence of the large micropores and narrow mesopores on the hydrogen adsorption was found.

Pt nanoparticles were spontaneously generated by immersion of a highly ordered pyrolytic graphite substrate in a 1 mM H ₂ PtCl ₆ + 0.05 M H ₂ SO ₄ plating solution using different immersion times, modifying both size and density of the deposits. Atomic force microscopy images show Pt particles distributed preferentially on surface defects of the electrode, increasing their size and density with deposition time. Scanning electronic microscopy/energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy images confirmed the formation of Pt deposits after 2 h immersion, forming irregular agglomerates with different sizes distributed over the surface. The open circuit potential studies showed potentials close to the corresponding PtCl ₆ ²⁻ /Pt and PtCl ₄ ²⁻ /Pt couples, which would indicate that some of these processes took place at the interface. The voltammetric response of the supported Pt nanoparticles showed an increase in current density towards the hydrogen evolution reaction being more pronounced for deposits formed after an immersion time of 2 h. In this case, the voltammetric behavior was similar to polycrystalline Pt. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.