High surface area metal salt templated carbon aerogels via a simple subcritical drying route: preparation and CO2 uptake properties

We describe a very simple method for the formation of high surface area carbon aerogels from melamine-formaldehyde resins, via metal salt (CaCl2) templating, wherein subcritical drying is used and no activation is required. The metal salt acts as a porogen to generate carbon aerogels with surface area of up to 1100 m(2) g(-1), which exhibit significant CO2 uptake of up to 2.2 mmol g(-1) at 298 K and 1 bar.