High capacitance carbon-based xerogel film produced without critical drying

Abstract

We report the production of carbon-based xerogel film without the need for supercritical drying. Xerogel samples were characterized with field emission scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption/desorption at 77 K, Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and electrical conductivity and cyclic voltammetry measurements. Experimental results reveal that the film is largely crack free and homogeneous in thickness, and, importantly, has high surface area, large nanopore volume, and an excellent performance for electrical charge storage-both per unit mass and unit volume. These results indicate that the film has potential applications for electrical energy storage devices.

Recent progress in the synthesis and applications of nanoporous carbon films

“…There are many organic polymers or resin sources available for carbonization, including thin films of commercial polyimide, 44,45 hyperbranched poly(phenylene vinylene) (hypPPV), 46 poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), 47 poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVF), 48 poly-(arylcarbinol), 49 hypercrosslinked polystyrenes, 50 phenolic resin 51,52 and resorcinol-formaldehyde xerogel. 10 Of particular note are the biosubstance sources. A superhydrophilic carbon film was prepared from a superhydrophobic lotus leaf.…”

“…Tao et al reported a supercritical drying-free method to synthesize uniform organic and carbon films. 10 The nanoporous organic film was synthesized from the polycondensation of resorcinol with formaldehyde in a narrow slit, and drying directly under ambient conditions. Adjusting the space of the film model enabled the preparation of films with tailored thickness.…”

“…[1][2][3] Because of their structural features (high specific surface area) and easily tunable nanoporosities, NPCFs are promising for various applications, for example, separation and purification, 4 adsorption, 5,6 catalysis, 7 and electrochemical capacitors. [8][9][10] NPCFs can be synthesized by hard-and soft-templating, pyrolysis of organic polymer precursors, chemical and physical vapor deposition and electrochemical methods. [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] The NPCFs synthesized by physical vapor deposition (PVD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods mostly contain disordered micropores (pore width, w < 2 nm) that render the NPCFs suitable for separation and adsorption of small gas molecules but limit their applicability to large molecules including biomolecules and bulky organics.…”

Hierarchically Nanostructured Zeolites of Tunable Porosities with Aerogel Templating

“…We directly prepared resorcinol-formaldehyde xerogels using a narrow slit-space [14]. Resorcinol-formaldehyde aerogels were subsequently pyrolysized at 1323 K in a nitrogen flow or argon flow to produce carbon aerogels.…”

Resorcinol-formaldehyde derived carbon xerogels: A promising anode material for lithium-ion battery

“…51,52 Self-supported carbon xerogel thin films of few micron thickness were prepared by a slit-space film technique. 53 As-prepared carbon xerogel films showed high surface area (915 m 2 /g) with bimodal pore size distribution. In the other way, carbon xerogel thin films were prepared on substrate with and without stretchable (PMMA) polymer and tested as anode material for LIB and scaffold for neural cells (cells of nervous system).…”