High surface area carbon xerogels Microwave vs. conventional activation with KOH

摘要

Rcsoranol-formaldehyde xerogels were chemically activated using potassium hydroxide under different activation conditions of time, temperature and heating mechanism. A study of the activation time showed that carbon xerogels with a well-developed porosity (S_(BEET) around 2200 m~2 g~(-1)) can be produced in the range of 6-30 minutes. It was found that by means of short exposures to microwaves it is possible to partially preserve the original mesoporosity of the precursor and to achieve a higher volume of narrower micropores. However, under conventional heating the mesoporosity created during the synthesis of the organic precursor was destroyed.