Controllability of pore characteristics of resorcinol–formaldehyde carbon aerogel

• Published in: Carbon (New York) Vol. 42; no. 8; pp. 1625 - 1633
• Main Authors: Horikawa, Toshihide, Hayashi, Jun'ichi, Muroyama, Katsuhiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 2004; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: A. Carbon aerogel; B. Carbonization; C. Small-angle X-ray scattering; Chemistry; Colloidal state and disperse state; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; D. Adsorption; Exact sciences and technology; Fullerenes and related materials; diamonds, graphite; General and physical chemistry; Materials science; Physics; Porous materials; Specific materials; C. Small-angle X-ray scattering; D. Adsorption; B. Carbonization; A. Carbon aerogel; Aerogels; Pore; Carbon; Porous materials; Formaldehyde; Resorcinol
• ISSN: 0008-6223; 1873-3891
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2004.02.016

Resorcinol–formaldehyde (RF) aerogels were synthesized by sol–gel polycondensation of resorcinol with formaldehyde in a slightly basic aqueous solution, followed by drying with supercritical carbon dioxide. The RF carbon aerogels were prepared by carbonizing the RF aerogels at a high temperature under a nitrogen atmosphere. On changing the catalyst species and the catalyst ratios in synthesizing the RF hydrogels, we investigated their influence on the pore characteristics of the RF carbon aerogels prepared. We found that the order in the magnitude of the peak radii in the size distributions agrees with that in the magnitude of the gyratory radius measured from the small-angle X-ray scattering curves of the RF solutions during their gelation process. The gyratory radii and the form of the primary particles constituting the RF hydrogel were found to determine the pore characteristics of the RF carbon aerogels, relating to the polymerization conditions such as the catalyst species and the catalyst ratios in synthesizing the RF hydrogel.