Abstract
The production of resorcinol–formaldehyde xerogels has yielded insight into the gelation processes underpinning their structures. In this work, the role of the cation species from the catalyst is probed by studying the simultaneous addition of sodium carbonate and calcium carbonate to a resorcinol–formaldehyde mixture. Twenty-eight xerogels were prepared by varying the solids content, catalyst concentration, and catalyst composition, and each was analysed for its textural properties, including the surface area and average pore diameter. The results indicate that the role of the cation is linked to the stabilisation of the clusters formed within the system, and that the Group II catalyst causes the salting out of the oligomers, resulting in fewer, larger clusters, hence, an increase in pore size and a broadening of the pore size distribution. The results provide insight into how these systems can be further controlled to create tailored porous materials for a range of applications.
Highlights
Resorcinol–formaldehyde (RF) gels are a family of organic, porous materials that have seen widespread study since their discovery by Pekala in 1989 [1]
Porous materials can be optimised for a particular application, and RF aerogels possess the ability to exhibit varying porous textures, dependent on the synthesis conditions chosen
The polycondensation reaction is highly flexible, and a number of synthesis parameters can be varied in order to modify the porous texture of the final aerogel product [2,10]
Summary
Resorcinol–formaldehyde (RF) gels are a family of organic, porous materials that have seen widespread study since their discovery by Pekala in 1989 [1]. There is a clear decrease in surface area, with a general increase in pore volume and average pore diameter, moving from the Group I catalyst (Na2CO3) to the Group II species (CaCO3).
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