Nitrogen-doped carbon aerogels for electrical energy storage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017040123-A1
Application number	US-201514820397-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 6, 2015
Priority date	Aug 6, 2015
Publication date	Feb 9, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed here is a method for making a nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel, comprising: preparing a reaction mixture comprising formaldehyde, at least one nitrogen-containing resorcinol analog, at least one catalyst, and at least one solvent; curing the reaction mixture to produce a wet gel; drying the wet gel to produce a dry gel; and thermally annealing the dry gel to produce the nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel. Also disclosed is a nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel obtained according to the method and a supercapacitor comprising the nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for making a nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel, comprising:
preparing a reaction mixture comprising formaldehyde, at least one nitrogen-containing resorcinol analog, at least one catalyst, and at least one solvent; curing the reaction mixture to produce a wet gel; drying the wet gel to produce a dry gel; and thermally annealing the dry gel to produce the nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the resorcinol analog is selected from (a) an aromatic compound comprising a nitrogen-containing ring linked to at least two hydroxyl groups and (b) an aromatic compound comprising a benzene ring or nitrogen-containing ring linked to at least one hydroxyl group and at least one amine group, wherein the nitrogen-containing ring is selected from the group consisting of pyridine, pyrazine, pyrimidine, pyridazine, pyrrole, pyrazole and imidazole.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the resorcinol analog is pyridinediol.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the resorcinol analog is aminophenol.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the solvent is water and/or an organic solvent.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, nitric acid, ascorbic acid, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, and calcium sulfate.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein in the reaction mixture the molar ratio of the resorcinol analog to the catalyst ranges from about 10:1 to about 1000:1.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reaction mixture is substantially free of melamine.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reaction mixture is cured at a temperature of about 25° C. to about 100° C.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of drying the wet gel comprises solvent exchange.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of drying the wet gel comprises drying the wet gel with a supercritical fluid.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of drying the wet gel comprises drying the wet gel with supercritical CO 2 .

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the dry gel is thermally annealed in an inert atmosphere at a temperature of about 600° C. or about 1200° C.

14 . A composition comprising a nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel obtained according to the method of claim 1 .

15 . The composition of claim 14 , wherein the nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel has a nitrogen content of about 4 wt. % or more.

16 . The composition of claim 14 , wherein the nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel has a surface area of about 100 m 2 /g or more.

17 . The composition of claim 14 , wherein the nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel has a density of about 0.5 g/ml or less.

18 . The composition of claim 14 , wherein the nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel has a specific capacitance of about 50 F/g or more.

19 . The composition of claim 14 , wherein the nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel has an areal capacitance of about 20 μF/cm 2 or more.

20 . A supercapacitor comprising the composition of claim 14 .

Assignees

• L Livermore Nat Security Llc

Inventors

• Campbell Patrick
• Montalvo Elizabeth
• Baumann Theodore F
• Biener Juergen
• Merrill Matthew
• Reed Eric W
• Worsley Marcus A

Classifications

• H01G11/24

  characterised by structural features of the materials making up or comprised in the electrodes, e.g. form, surface area or porosity; characterised by the structural features of powders or particles used therefor · CPC title

• Y02E60/13

  Energy storage using capacitors · CPC title

• H01G11/34

  characterised by carbonisation or activation of carbon · CPC title

• B01J13/0091 Primary

  Preparation of aerogels, e.g. xerogels · CPC title

• C01B32/00

  Carbon; Compounds thereof (C01B21/00, C01B23/00 take precedence; percarbonates C01B15/10; carbon black C09C1/48) · CPC title