Aerogel composite and method for manufacturing the same

C2N Porous Aerogel Electrode Material with Bandgap Opened via Sulfur/Phosphorus Heteroatom Doping

This technology enhances ORR and OER electrochemical performance by doping benzene-ring-based 2D atomic crystal structures (C2N) with heteroatoms like sulfur (S) or phosphorus (P) to modify lattice bond angles and band structures, while controlling 0D to 3D network structures through solvent blending and acidity adjustment.

Conventional 2D graphene materials have a zero bandgap, making them difficult to apply in electronic devices. Existing nitrogen-doping methods also involve complex processes, carry risks of metal contamination, and suffer from structural instability in the doped regions, which limits bandgap control.

This technology polymerizes hexaaminobenzene and benzene derivatives to create a C2N aerogel, then introduces S or P dopants to adjust structural stress and form a bandgap. By optimizing the composition of organic solvents, water, alcohol ratios, and acidity-adjusting sources like thiourea or sulfuric acid, the network dimension can be freely modified. This material can be used in metal-air battery cathodes, metal-free electrocatalysts, and semiconducting 2D device channels, allowing for custom band structure design without the risk of metal contamination.

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Key Features:

• Heat-treating a source solution containing benzene and amine to produce a first compound with aminated benzene
• Mixing and heat-treating the first compound, benzene additives, and dopants to produce a hydrogel doped with the doping element in a polymerized second compound
• Freeze-drying and heat-treating the hydrogel to produce a porous aerogel composite doped with the doping element
• P or S doping elements that are larger than the second compound elements, forming part of the benzene ring while maintaining an in-plane structure

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This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT for the development of a high-energy-density soft materials platform through the design of new organic superionic plastic crystal materials.

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