Enhanced hydrogen storage capacity in carbon aerogels treated with KOH

Abstract

Organic aerogels are prepared by the sol-gel polymerization of resorcinol with furfural catalysed by potassium hydroxide solution using ambient pressure drying. These aerogels are further carbonised in nitrogen in order to obtain their corresponding carbon aerogels. Nitrogen adsorption at 77 K allowed the determination of surface areas and pore volumes, further analysed by the Dubinin-Radushkevich model and density functional theory model. In particular, a KOH catalysed carbon aerogel exhibits a hydrogen uptake of ∼5.2 wt.% at 77 K and 3.5 MPa. The correlation of maximum hydrogen uptake with surface area and micropore volume was investigated. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd.