Carbon aerogels are nanostructured porous carbon materials, which can be produced from locally available phenolic compounds. A method for the preparation of metal-doped carbon aerogels from oil shale processing by-products 5-methylresorcinol and 2,6-dihydroxy-4-methylbenzoic acid was developed. Aerogels doped with Ni, Co and Cu were characterized by atomic absorption spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction.
The resulting materials exhibited pore diameters in microporous and mesoporous regions, high surface areas and pore volumes. The metal content in aerogels was found to be dependent on the amount of ion-exchange moiety and metal content as high as 14.5 wt% was achieved in carbon aerogels, where also metal nanoparticles had formed.
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