Carbon cryogel from resorcinol formaldehyde: tuning of processing steps and activation for use in supercapacitor

Access to the internal surface of carbon material, sourced from polymer gel precursor can be retained by manipulation of solvent removal from the wet gels. Additionally, the activation of pores after carbonization provides better access to the internal surface. In this article, carbon cryogel from Resorcinol Formaldehyde is analysed for use of the resulting carbon in supercapacitors. The direct removal of solvent through methods e.g., lyophilisation, and the removal after solvent exchange are studied here to arrive at a simple and fast technique that gives better access to the internal pores. The exposure of cryogel samples to KOH and CO2, respectively, are considered here for the activation of pores. The carbon cryogel powder, analysed by SEM, EDX, BET, XRD, and FTIR forms the basis for use of resulting electrodes in supercapacitors. The specific capacitance is analyzed from cyclic voltammetry, chronopotentiometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests.