Influence of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate on the structure and properties of carbon aerogels

This letter describes the effects that the surfactant, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS), has on the structure and electrical properties of monolithic carbon aerogels (CA). Using organic sol–gel chemistry, a series of novel CA materials prepared with different concentrations of SDBS were characterized to evaluate the influence the surfactant had on the network structure of the resultant material. Addition of the SDBS surfactant to the sol–gel reaction mixture was shown to generate CA structures that had different pore sizes, higher densities and improved electrical conductivity than those prepared without the surfactant. These results are discussed in comparison with relevant sol–gel literature and theory.