Carbon xerogels with superior performance in supercapacitor electrodes

Carbon xerogels of different porosity were synthesized in this work. Several post-treatments (carbonization and chemical activation processes) were studied and it was observed that the treatment applied determines the porous texture. It was possible to produce from highly microporous carbon xerogels with a significant amount of narrow mesopores (sample AOX) to micro-mesoporous xerogels that preserve the original mesoporosity of precursor material (ACX xerogel). Once the textural properties of synthesized carbon xerogels were evaluated, the most suitable carbon xerogel for use as electrode in supercapacitors was selected.