Electrochemical Characteristics of a Carbonaceous Material Prepared by Solid-Template-Based Template Synthesis

A high-porosity carbonaceous material was prepared by solid-template-based template synthesis. The carbon source was phenol-formaldehyde resin of resol type; the template agent, nanocrystalline ZnO that was synthesized by thermolysis of a precursor—zinc citrate, introduced to starting materials. The carbonaceous material was synthesized by pyrolysis of the resin in the presence of the template, with subsequent removal of the template agent. The material’s specific surface area equals 1050 ± 10 m²/g. Its electrochemical characteristics are studied in a symmetrical two-electrode cell by using cyclic voltammetry at different voltage scanning rates. Its specific capacitance in acid electrolyte (1 М H₂SO₄) reached 61 F/g, which is approximately twice as large as that in alkali electrolyte (6 М КОН). Unusual dependence of the specific capacitance on the voltage scanning rate in the acid electrolyte was observed; the material was shown to have relatively low specific capacitance per unit surface of the electrode.