Title: Synthesis and characterisation of electrical conducting nanoporous carbon structures based on pyrogallol-formaldehyde

Authors: L. El Mir, N. Ben Mansour, I. Najeh, M. Saadoun, S. Alaya

Addresses: Laboratoire de Physique des Materiaux et des Nanomateriaux, Appliquee a l'Environnement, Faculte des Sciences de Gabes, Cite, Erriadh Manara Zrig 6072 Gabes, Tunisie. ' Laboratoire de Physique des Materiaux et des Nanomateriaux, Appliquee a l'Environnement, Faculte des Sciences de Gabes, Cite, Erriadh Manara Zrig 6072 Gabes, Tunisie. ' Laboratoire de Physique des Materiaux et des Nanomateriaux, Appliquee a l'Environnement, Faculte des Sciences de Gabes, Cite, Erriadh Manara Zrig 6072 Gabes, Tunisie. ' Centre de Recherches et des Technologies de l'Energie (CRTE), Laboratoire de Photovoltaique et des Semiconducteurs, BP 95, 2050, Hammam-Lif, Tunisie. ' Physics Department, College of Science King Faisal University, P.O. Box 400, 31982 Hofuf, Saudi Arabia

Abstract: Electrical conducting carbon (ECC) nanoporous structures were explored by changing the pyrolysis temperature of organic xerogel compounds prepared by sol-gel method from pyrogallol-formaldehyde (PF) mixture in water using picric acid as catalyst. The effect of these preparation parameters on the structural and electrical properties of the obtained ECCs was studied. The obtained results revealed that, the polymeric insulating xerogel phase was transformed progressively with pyrolysis temperature into carbon conducting phase. The temperature-dependent conductivity of the ECC structures show a semiconducting behaviour and the I(V) characteristics present a negative differential resistance.

Keywords: sol-gel; nanoparticles; electrical conducting carbon; drying; transport properties; nanoporous carbon structures; pyrogallol-formaldehyde; pyrolysis temperature; organic xerogel compounds; nanomaterials; nanotechnology.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNBM.2009.027719

International Journal of Nano and Biomaterials, 2009 Vol.2 No.1/2/3/4/5, pp.249 - 254

Published online: 08 Aug 2009 *

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