Development of microporous carbon xerogels by controlling synthesis conditions

Textural properties of carbon gels can be controlled by varying the synthesis and drying process conditions. In this work, the influence of the initial pH and the drying method on the final properties of carbon gels, synthesized using methanol as a solvent, was evaluated. Furthermore, the use of microwaves as a drying method for the synthesis of carbon xerogels was assessed. In the light of the results obtained, in order to synthesize monolithic and microporous carbon gels in a short period of time, the use of a multimode microwave oven is proposed. The use of pH 7 also leads to shorter gelation times and more consistent monoliths. Furthermore, the multimode microwave drying can produce homogeneous microporosity and surface areas of up to 1341 m2 g−1, in a very short time (i.e., only 6 min is required for the drying step).