Preparation of three-dimensional ordered mesoporous carbon sphere arrays by a two-step templating route and their application for supercapacitors

A two-step template approach was demonstrated for preparation of the three-dimensional ordered mesoporous carbon sphere arrays. The ordered macroporous silica skeleton was formed from silicon alkoxide precursor templating around polystyrene ( latex) spheres, and removal of the polystyrene spheres. These preforms as hard templates were infiltrated with a solution mixture of amphiphilic triblock copolymer PEO-PPO-PEO and soluble resol. By combining evaporation-induced surfactant-templating organic resol self-assembly with thermosetting, carbonization and hydrofluoric acid extraction of silica, the obtained mesoporous carbon has a pore size of 10.4 nm, interconnected window size of about 60 nm, surface area of 601 m(2)/g and pore volume of 1.70 cm(3)/g. The electrochemical properties as an electrode material for supercapacitor applications were investigated in nonaqueous electrolyte. They show rectangular-shaped cyclic voltammetry curves over a wide range of scan rates even up to 200 mV/s between 0 and 3 V, and deliver a large capacitance of 14 mu F/cm(2) (84 F/g), and good cycling stability with capacitance retention of 93% over 5000 cycles.