Metal doped carbon aerogel production and investigation of their electrochemical properties

As technology and industry grow up rapidly in modern era, the necessity of energy storage also increases. Therefore, because of their quite safe and environmentally friendly properties, the interest in electrochemical capasitors is growing. Carbon aerogels are shown candidate for supercapacitor electrode material applications due to their attractive properties such as high porosity, low electrical resistivity, controllable pore structure, high surface area, good electrical conductivity, thermal properties and mechanical properties.In this study, carbon aerogel is produced when all variables are constant to examine effect of metal impregnation on the structural and electrochemical properties of carbon aerogel. Using Ni, Co, Cr and Zr salts with different molar ratios, metal impregnations are conducted.When FTIR spectra of pure carbon aerogel and commercial carbon aerogel are compared, it is observed that these spectra are quite similar. Hence, it is concluded that successful in the production of carbon aerogel. To examine effect of metal impregnation on structre of carbon aerogel, FTIR spectra of metal impregnated carbon aerogels were taken and it was concluded that metal impregnation was effective on structre of carbon aerogels. In addition, FTIR spectra of each metal group are consistent within each other.It is observed that the metal impregnation has not direct effect on BET surface area of carbon aerogel. Regarding the effect of metal impregnations on BET surface area, the most significant increase in BET surface area is provided with addition of Ni (0,7 mmol/L). It also seems that Zn and Cr metals are quite effective in increase of BET surface area. However, as for Co metal, there is no significant effect on increment of BET surface area. The highest BET surface area is obtained as 481 m2/g for carbon aerogel impregnated 0,7 mmol/L Ni.It is observed that capacitance values and BET surface areas of metal doped carbon aerogels are not related with each other exactly but, they act in a similar line. The highest capacitance value was obtained as 44,6 F/g for 0,3 mmol/L Ni doped carbon aerogel under scan rate of 5 mV/s and potential range of + 1,2 - ?1,2 conditions.