Textural Features of Organic and Carbon Aerogels Obtained Using Different Parameters for the Resorcinol–Formaldehyde Precursor-Gel Formation

A classical approach to the production of carbon aerogels by pyrolysis of organic resorcinol–formaldehyde aerogels has been studied. Organic aerogels with a density of no more than 0.17 g/cm3 and a specific surface area of up to 632 m2/g have been obtained. The corresponding carbon aerogels had a density of no more than 0.20 g/cm3, while their specific surface area reached 757 m2/g. The effect of important synthetic parameters—the concentration of the catalyst and the aging time of the precursor gel—on the features of the porous structure and the value of the specific surface area is demonstrated. For the first time, such an effect has been studied in detail for the size distribution of meso- and micropores.