Qatar University

Ahmed Awadallah-F

Shaheen Al-Muhtaseb

In certain aspects and embodiments, the present invention provides a radiolytic polymerization/gelation method for the synthesis of gels and their subsequent activated carbon derivatives. In certain exemplary embodiments, resorcinol-formaldehyde gels are produced from resorcinol and formaldehyde without additives, catalysts, buffers, initiators or other species. In certain embodiments, ionizing γ-type radiation fromCo is used as a radiation source in the gel crosslinking process. Different compositions of resorcinol/formaldehyde and a wide range of irradiation doses were examined. Various techniques are used to characterize the outcome product, either the gels or their derived carbon gels or activated carbon.

Radiolytic method of preparing gels

Provided are multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) decorated with nanospheres of carbon, methods of preparing multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) decorated with nanospheres of carbon, and uses thereof.

Carbon nanotubes decorated with carbon nanospheres

The method of synthesizing carbon nanorods (CNRs) and carbon nanowires (CNWs) involves carbonization of a resorcinol-formaldehyde cross-linked precursor gel. The first stage is the synthesis of resorcinol-formaldehyde cross-linked precursor gel. The second stage is carbonization of the gel by heating the gel in a furnace under the flow of nitrogen gas at 500&#xb0; C. for three hours. The third stage involves activating the carbon by heating the carbon gel in a furnace under the flow of carbon dioxide gas for one hour at 700&#xb0; C. to form the CNRs and CNWs.

Method of synthesizing carbon nanorods and nanowires

The sol-gel templating with the infusion of gas bubbles provides a process for synthesizing polymeric or gel materials while being templated with slow bubbling of various gases into the reacting media upon the polymerization or gelation stage. The process uses a source of gas, which is delivered at a desired rate and pressure via at least one inert tube directly into the reacting solution while the gel is being formed by sol-gel process. The tube(s) have a diameter selected to produce bubbles that result in the desired pore size and the number and placement of the tubes is selected to produce the desired pore structure and surface area in the gel template. The gel may be any gel capable of being formed by sol-gel process. The gas may be selected from carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen, helium, argon, oxygen, hydrogen, propane, ethane, propylene, ethylene, air, and n-butane and other inert gases.

Sol-gel templates formed with infusion of gas bubbles

Systems and methods for the electrochemical polymerization process for preparation of cross-linked gel. The process includes mixing a hydroxylated benzene and aldehyde in an aqueous media in an inert container to form a hydroxylated benzene and aldehyde mixture. Furthermore, the process includes introducing electrodes into the inert container. Further, the electrochemical polymerization process includes supplying electric current to the hydroxylated benzene and aldehyde mixtures in the inert container through the electrodes. The resultant products of electrochemical polymerization process either gels or activated carbon gels have unique characteristics.

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Cairo, Egypt

Ahmed Awadallah-F