Controlling the Morphology of Carbon Xerogel by Diluents and Preparation Parameters for Supercapacitor Application

Abstract

This work examined organic xerogels derived from resorcinol-formaldehyde polycondensation and investigated bio-alcohols as diluents. The concentrations of water, methanol, and ethanol in the precursor solution were shown to affect the porosity properties of the materials and their conductivity behavior. The xerogels synthesized with lesser catalyst and methanol as a diluent demonstrate enhanced properties. All samples exhibited an amorphous structure. A maximum double layer conductance of 50.28 F/g was observed for the sample synthesized at a formaldehyde to resorcinol ratio of 2.0 and a precursor to catalyst ratio of 200. The xerogel's pore volume and surface area grew significantly, reaching a BET surface area of 463.02 m²/g. XPS and TGA studies demonstrated a more pronounced graphitic nature in the xerogel. Electrochemical experiments showed relevant property for methanol-mediated carbon xerogel. The results are noteworthy, as diluting agents decrease synthesis time, facilitating the fabrication of more competitive supercapacitor materials with better surface and porous properties.