Preparation of carbon aerogel in ambient conditions for electrical double-layer capacitor

Carbon aerogels were prepared by polycondensation of resorcinol with formaldehyde using sodium carbonate as a catalyst in ambient conditions, and they were used as an electrode of electrical double-layer capacitor. The effect of resorcinol to catalyst ratio (R/C ratio) on volume shrinkage, BET surface area, and electrochemical property of carbon aerogels was investigated by changing R/C ratio from 50 to 2000. In order to minimize volume shrinkage, solvent exchange was performed with acetone at 50 °C for 1 day. Volume shrinkage was <2% after 2-day gelation in the absence of CO2 supercritical drying. BET surface area was strongly dependent on R/C ratio. Carbon aerogel prepared at R/C ratio of 500 showed the highest BET surface area (706 m2/g) with average pore diameter of 10.9 nm. Electrochemical property of carbon aerogels as an electrode of electrical double-layer capacitor was investigated by cyclic voltammetry measurement. Specific capacitance of carbon aerogel prepared at R/C ratio of 500 was found to be 81 F/g in 1 M H2SO4 electrolyte at the scan rate of 10 mV/s.