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Synthesis and Application of Carbon Gels

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Carbon Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 October 2022) | Viewed by 5082

Special Issue Editors

Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
Interests: carbon materials; photocatalysis; energy storage; CO2 conversion; carbon composites, 3D-printing, electrocatalysis
Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
Interests: carbon materials; carbon metal composites; carbon gels; photo-catalysis; electro-catalysis; catalytic combustion; hydrogenation reactions; advanced oxidation processes
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Carbon gels are nanostructured carbons obtained by sol–gel polycondensation of certain organic monomers. These carbon gels, compared to other porous carbon materials, have a great versatility both at the nanoscopic level in terms of their pore texture and at the macroscopic level in terms of their form. Due to the flexibility of the sol–gel process, their final chemical, structural, and porous properties can be controlled and designed at nanoscale by adjusting the different variables involved during their synthesis. The form can also be tuned from monoliths to breads, powders or thin films. Furthermore, composite materials and metal-doped carbon gels can also be obtained by the addition of other components, metal precursors or nanoparticles during synthesis. Thus, a wide spectrum of materials with unique properties can be produced and specifically designed for a wide range of applications from adsorption and separation processes to catalysis, sensing, insulation, energy storage, and electrochemistry.

This Special Issue is devoted to the latest advances in designing carbon gels and carbon-gel-based composites, as well as for their different cutting-edge applications in fields such as catalysis, adsorption, energy production and storage, biotechnology, environment, and so on.

Dr. Esther Bailón-García
Prof. Agustín Francisco Pérez-Cadenas
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Carbon gels
  • Porosity
  • Surface chemistry
  • Controlled pore size
  • Adsorption
  • Catalysis
  • Energy storage
  • Electrochemistry
  • Composites
  • Metal-doped carbon gels

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 6353 KiB  
Article
High Performance Tunable Catalysts Prepared by Using 3D Printing
by Cristian Yesid Chaparro-Garnica, Esther Bailón-García, Arantxa Davó-Quiñonero, Patrick Da Costa, Dolores Lozano-Castelló and Agustín Bueno-López
Materials 2021, 14(17), 5017; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14175017 - 02 Sep 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2383
Abstract
Honeycomb monoliths are the preferred supports in many industrial heterogeneous catalysis reactions, but current extrusion synthesis only allows obtaining parallel channels. Here, we demonstrate that 3D printing opens new design possibilities that outperform conventional catalysts. High performance carbon integral monoliths have been prepared [...] Read more.
Honeycomb monoliths are the preferred supports in many industrial heterogeneous catalysis reactions, but current extrusion synthesis only allows obtaining parallel channels. Here, we demonstrate that 3D printing opens new design possibilities that outperform conventional catalysts. High performance carbon integral monoliths have been prepared with a complex network of interconnected channels and have been tested for carbon dioxide hydrogenation to methane after loading a Ni/CeO2 active phase. CO2 methanation rate is enhanced by 25% at 300 °C because the novel design forces turbulent flow into the channels network. The methodology and monoliths developed can be applied to other heterogeneous catalysis reactions, and open new synthesis options based on 3D printing to manufacture tailored heterogeneous catalysts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Application of Carbon Gels)
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16 pages, 5642 KiB  
Article
Binary and Ternary 3D Nanobundles Metal Oxides Functionalized Carbon Xerogels as Electrocatalysts toward Oxygen Reduction Reaction
by Abdalla Abdelwahab, Francisco Carrasco-Marín and Agustín F. Pérez-Cadenas
Materials 2020, 13(16), 3531; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma13163531 - 10 Aug 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2131
Abstract
A series of carbon xerogels doped with cobalt, nickel, and iron have been prepared through the sol–gel method. The doped carbon xerogels were further functionalized with binary and ternary transition metal oxides containing Co, Ni, and Zn oxides by the hydrothermal method. A [...] Read more.
A series of carbon xerogels doped with cobalt, nickel, and iron have been prepared through the sol–gel method. The doped carbon xerogels were further functionalized with binary and ternary transition metal oxides containing Co, Ni, and Zn oxides by the hydrothermal method. A development in the mesopore volume is achieved for functionalized carbon xerogel doped with iron. However, in the functionalization of carbon xerogel with ternary metal oxides, a reduction in pore diameter and mesopore volume is found. In addition, all functionalized metal oxides/carbon are in the form of 3D nanobundles with different lengths and widths. The prepared samples have been tested as electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in basic medium. All composites showed excellent oxygen reduction reaction activity; the low equivalent series resistance of the Zn–Ni–Co/Co–CX composite was especially remarkable, indicating high electronic conductivity. It has been established that the role of Zn in this type of metal oxides nanobundles-based ORR catalyst is not only positive, but its effect could be enhanced by the presence of Ni. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Application of Carbon Gels)
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