High temperature oxygen treated carbon aerogels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017200566-A1
Application number	US-201614994854-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 13, 2016
Priority date	Jan 13, 2016
Publication date	Jul 13, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed here is a method for increasing the hydrophilicity of a carbon aerogel, comprising heating the carbon aerogels under air or a gas having a higher concentration of oxygen than air at a temperature of about 200°-500° C. to obtain an activated carbon aerogel. Also disclosed include an activated carbon aerogel obtained by the method, an electrode comprising the activated carbon aerogel, and a supercapacitor or capacitive deionization device comprising the electrode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for increasing the hydrophilicity of a carbon aerogel, comprising heating the carbon aerogels under air or a gas having a higher concentration of oxygen than air at a temperature of about 200°-500° C. to obtain an activated carbon aerogel.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon aerogel is heated under air.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon aerogel is heated at a temperature of about 350-450° C.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon aerogel is heated for about 30-300 minutes.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon aerogel is heated in a chamber under flowing gas having a flow rate of about 5 sccm/cm 2 or less of the chamber's cross sectional area.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon aerogel is obtained by:
providing a reaction mixture comprising resorcinol, formaldehyde, and at least one catalyst, curing said reaction mixture to form a wet gel, drying said wet gel to produce a dry gel, and pyrolyzing said dry gel to produce the carbon aerogel.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the activated carbon aerogel has a wetting angle of about 5° or less.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the activated carbon aerogel has a wetting angle of about 1° or less.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the activated carbon aerogel has a wetting angle that is decreased by at least about 30° compared to a corresponding unactivated carbon aerogel.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the activated carbon aerogel has a wetting angle that is decreased by at least about 45° compared to a corresponding unactivated carbon aerogel.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the activated carbon aerogel has an atomic oxygen content of about 5-30 at. % on its surface.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the activated carbon aerogel has an atomic oxygen content of about 10-25 at. % on its surface.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the activated carbon aerogel has an atomic oxygen content on its surface that is at least about 10 at. % more than a corresponding carbon aerogel activated under CO 2 .

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the activated carbon aerogel has an atomic oxygen content on its surface that is at least about 15 at. % more than a corresponding carbon aerogel activated under CO 2 .

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the activated carbon aerogel has a capacity of at least about 100 F/g or at least about 50 F/cm 3 .

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the activated carbon aerogel has a capacity of about 120-150 F/g or about 50-70 F/cm 3 .

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the activated carbon aerogel has a weight loss of about 50 wt. % of less compared to a corresponding unactivated carbon aerogel.

18 . An activated carbon aerogel obtained by the method of claim 1 .

19 . An electrode comprising the activated carbon aerogel of claim 18 .

20 . A supercapacitor or capacitive deionization device comprising the electrode of claim 19 .

Assignees

• L Livermore Nat Security Llc

Inventors

• Stadermann Michael
• Baumann Theodore F
• Gash Alexander E
• Parra Alex P

Classifications

• H01G11/44

  Raw materials therefor, e.g. resins or coal · CPC title

• H01G11/34 Primary

  characterised by carbonisation or activation of carbon · CPC title

• 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

• C02F2001/46133

  characterised by the material · CPC title

• C02F1/4691

  Capacitive deionisation · CPC title