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Studies of the chemical and pore structures of the carbon aerogels synthesized by gelation and supercritical drying in isopropanol
Author(s) -
Fu Ruowen,
Zheng Bo,
Liu Jie,
Weiss Steve,
Ying Jackie Y.,
Dresselhaus Mildred S.,
Dresselhaus Gene,
Satcher Joe,
Baumann Theodore
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.13474
Subject(s) - x ray photoelectron spectroscopy , microporous material , mesoporous material , supercritical fluid , aerogel , supercritical drying , materials science , carbon fibers , scanning electron microscope , chemical engineering , analytical chemistry (journal) , specific surface area , oxygen , porosity , chemistry , chromatography , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , composite material , catalysis , composite number , engineering
The carbon aerogels prepared by a new method through gelation and supercritical drying in isopropanol were characterized by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy, and a surface area analyzer. Their chemical structure, morphology, and pore structure are discussed. We found that all of these carbon aerogel (CA‐IPA) samples have almost the same carbon and oxygen elemental states, as well as similar oxygen‐containing groups. The curve fitting of the C1s XPS spectra of the samples for characterizing oxygen‐containing surface groups can be performed by assuming the peak type to be a Gaussian–Lorentzian Cross Product, but we cannot obtain good results using a Gaussian lineshape. When the mass density of the CA‐IPA decreases, the mesopores and macropores of the samples are found to grow, but the size and the shape of individual carbon nanoparticles in various CA‐IPA samples do not apparently change. The micropore volume of the CA‐IPA samples increases with a decrease in the mass density, while the mesopore volume has a maximum at a certain mass density. The CA‐IPA samples have a very narrow micropore distribution at about 0.5 nm. The mesopore distribution of the CA‐IPA is widened and the average pore size increases as the mass density of the sample decreases. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 3060–3067, 2004