BULGARIAN CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS

2022 Volume 54 / Special Issue B2

Selected papers presented on the Ninth International Conference “Modern Trends in Science”, 15-19 September 2021, Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria

Synthesis and characterization of carbon xerogels and MnO₂ as electrode materials for energy storage systems

B. B. Mladenova, T. E. Stankulov, B. A. Karamanova, S. K. Veleva, V. G. Ilcheva, A. E. Stoyanova

Received: November 17, 2021; Revised: July 01, 2022

The current investigation presents some results of the synthesis of carbon xerogels and MnO₂-based materials with predefined phase composition and surface for potential application as electrodes in supercapacitors. Organic xerogels were prepared by polycondensation of resorcinol and formaldehyde. Two different methods were used for heat treatment of the previously obtained solution: microwave heating and thermal treatment in vacuum. The obtained materials were subsequently carbonized and activated in order to increase their specific surface. MnO₂-based materials were synthesized by chemical reduction in aqueous solution. All synthesized samples were structurally and morphologically characterized. The results of the current analyses demonstrate differences in the phase composition and structure of the obtained materials, reflecting on their surface properties. This creates prerequisites for in-depth study of the influence of the synthesis method, which will reflect on the electrochemical characteristics of the studied and further tested supercapacitors.

Keywords: carbon xerogels, MnO₂, electrode materials, supercapacitors, physical and electrochemical study