Preparation–Morphology–Performance Relationships in Cobalt Aerogels as Supercapacitors

The ability to direct the morphology of cobalt sol–gel materials by using the simple synthetic parameters in epoxide-driven polycondensations has been dramatically demonstrated, and the influence of such morphological differences upon the supercapacity of the materials has been explored. Precursor salt, epoxide, and solvent all influence the speed of the sol–gel transition and the size and shape of the features observed in the as-prepared materials, thereby leading to highly varied microstructures including spheres, sponge-like networks, and plate assemblies of varied size. These morphological features of the as-prepared cobalt aerogels were observed for the first time by high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM). The as-prepared aerogel materials were identified by powder X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetry as weakly crystalline or amorphous cobalt basic salts with the general formula Co(OH)2–nXn where X = Cl or NO3 according to the precursor salt used in the synthesis. For all samples, the...