Acetic Acid Catalyzed Carbon Aerogels

Abstract

We prepared carbon aerogels with a wide range of structural properties and densities using the weak acetic acid as a catalyst. Two series of acetic acid catalyzed carbon aerogels with different dilution of the catalyst and the monomers were investigated accurately. Structural investigation was performed via (U)SAXS, gas sorption and SEM. The pore and particle size can be tailored according to the used amount of monomers and catalyst, respectively. The connectivity of the primary particles turned out to be exceptionally high, as was found from SEM photographs and is reflected in a large elastic modulus and a high electrical conductivity. IR transmission spectra of the acetic acid catalyzed resorcinol-formaldehyde aerogels indicate the existence of a carbonyl group within the aerogel network, which may be important for the structural development of the this gel. As no metal containing catalyst was employed, the resulting carbon aerogels are extremely pure.