Reversibly compressible and freestanding monolithic carbon spherogels
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In: Carbon, Vol. 153.2019, No. November, 11.2019, p. 189-195.
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Reversibly compressible and freestanding monolithic carbon spherogels
AU - Salihovic, Miralem
AU - Zickler, Gregor A.
AU - Fritz-Popovski, Gerhard
AU - Ulbricht, Maike
AU - Paris, Oskar
AU - Hüsing, Nicola
AU - Presser, Volker
AU - Elsaesser, Michael S.
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2019 The Authors
PY - 2019/11
Y1 - 2019/11
N2 - We present a versatile strategy to tailor the nanostructure of monolithic carbon aerogels. By use of an aqueous colloidal solution of polystyrene in the sol-gel processing of resorcinol-formaldehyde gels, we can prepare, after supercritical drying and successive carbonization, freestanding monolithic carbon aerogels, solely composed of interconnected and uniformly sized hollow spheres, which we name carbon spherogels. Each sphere is enclosed by a microporous carbon wall whose thickness can be adjusted by the polystyrene concentration, which affects the pore texture as well as the mechanical properties of the aerogel monolith. In this study, we used monodisperse polystyrene spheres of approximately 250 nm diameter, which result in an inner diameter of the final hollow carbon spheres of approximately 200 ± 5 nm due to shrinkage during the carbonization process. The excellent homogeneity of the samples, as well as uniform sphere geometries, are confirmed by small- and angle X-ray scattering. The presence of macropores between the hollow spheres creates a monolithic network with the benefit of being reversibly compressible up to 10% linear strain without destruction. Electrochemical tests demonstrate the applicability of ground and CO 2 activated carbon spherogels as electrode materials.
AB - We present a versatile strategy to tailor the nanostructure of monolithic carbon aerogels. By use of an aqueous colloidal solution of polystyrene in the sol-gel processing of resorcinol-formaldehyde gels, we can prepare, after supercritical drying and successive carbonization, freestanding monolithic carbon aerogels, solely composed of interconnected and uniformly sized hollow spheres, which we name carbon spherogels. Each sphere is enclosed by a microporous carbon wall whose thickness can be adjusted by the polystyrene concentration, which affects the pore texture as well as the mechanical properties of the aerogel monolith. In this study, we used monodisperse polystyrene spheres of approximately 250 nm diameter, which result in an inner diameter of the final hollow carbon spheres of approximately 200 ± 5 nm due to shrinkage during the carbonization process. The excellent homogeneity of the samples, as well as uniform sphere geometries, are confirmed by small- and angle X-ray scattering. The presence of macropores between the hollow spheres creates a monolithic network with the benefit of being reversibly compressible up to 10% linear strain without destruction. Electrochemical tests demonstrate the applicability of ground and CO 2 activated carbon spherogels as electrode materials.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85068561748&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.carbon.2019.06.086
DO - 10.1016/j.carbon.2019.06.086
M3 - Article
VL - 153.2019
SP - 189
EP - 195
JO - Carbon
JF - Carbon
SN - 0008-6223
IS - November
ER -