Organic aerogel, composition for forming the same, and method of preparing the same

1. An organic aerogel comprising a polymer obtained from reaction of an aryl alcohol compound, an aldehyde compound, and a polyol compound.

2. The aerogel of claim 1 , wherein the polymer comprises a structural unit represented by the following Chemical Formula 1:

R O-A) n   Chemical Formula 1

wherein, in the above Chemical Formula 1,

R is selected from the group consisting of a substituted or unsubstituted, alkylene, substituted or unsubstituted alkenylene, a substituted or unsubstituted alkynylene, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkylene, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkenylene, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkynylene, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocycloalkylene, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocycloalkenylene, a substituted or unsubstituted, heterocycloalkynylene, a substituted or unsubstituted arylene, and a substituted or unsubstituted heteroarylene,

A is hydrogen, and/or a structural unit represented by the following Chemical Formula 2, provided that each A is the same or different, and that at least one A is not hydrogen, and

n is an integer ranging from 2 to 10,

wherein, in the above Chemical Formula 2,

R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenylene, a substituted or unsubstituted alkynylene, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkylene, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkenylene, a substituted or unsubstituted, cycloalkynylene, a substituted, or unsubstituted heterocycloalkylene, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocycloalkenylene, substituted or unsubstituted heterocycloalkynylene, a substituted or unsubstituted arylene, and a substituted or unsubstituted heteroarylene,

R 3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a hydroxy, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy, and a substituted or unsubstituted amino, and

n3 is an integer ranging from 0 to 3.

3. The organic aerogel of claim 1 , wherein the polyol compound is represented by the following Chemical Formula 3:

R 9 OH) n9   Chemical Formula 3

wherein, in the above Chemical Formula 3,

R 9 is selected from the group consisting of a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenylene, a substituted or unsubstituted alkynylene, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkylene, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkenylene, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkynylene, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocycloalkylene, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocycloalkenylene, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocycloalkynylene, a substituted or unsubstituted arylene, and a substituted or unsubstituted heteroarylene, and

n9 is an integer ranging from 2 to 10.

4. The organic aerogel of claim 2 , wherein the polymer further comprises a structural unit represented by the following Chemical Formula 13:

R 4 B) n4   Chemical Formula 13

wherein, in the above Chemical Formula 13,

R 4 is selected from the group consisting of a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenylene, a substituted or unsubstituted alkynylene, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkylene a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkenylene, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkynylene, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocycloalkylene, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocycloalkenylene, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocycloalkynylene, a substituted or unsubstituted arylene, and a substituted or unsubstituted heteroarylene,

B is hydrogen, and/or a structural unit represented by the following Chemical Formula 14, provided that each B is the same or different, and that at least one B is not hydrogen, and

n4 is an integer ranging from 2 to 4,

wherein, in the above Chemical Formula 14,

R 5 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a hydroxy, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy, and a substituted or unsubstituted amino, and

n5 is an integer ranging from 0 to 3.

5. The organic aerogel of claim 2 , wherein the polymer further comprises a structural unit represented by the following Chemical Formula 16:

O D) n6   Chemical Formula 16

wherein, in the above Chemical Formula 16,

D is hydrogen, and/or a structural unit represented by the following Chemical Formula 17, provided that each D is the same or different, and that at least one D is not hydrogen, and

n6 is an integer of 2,

wherein, in the above Chemical Formula 17,

R 6 and R 7 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenylene, a substituted or unsubstituted alkynylene, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkylene, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkenylene, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkynylene, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocycloalkylene, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocycloalkenylene, substituted or unsubstituted heterocycloalkynylene, a substituted or unsubstituted arylene, and a substituted or unsubstituted heteroarylene,

R 8 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a hydroxy, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy, and a substituted or unsubstituted amino, and

n8 is an integer ranging from 0 to 3.

6. The organic aerogel of claim 1 , wherein the polyol compound is present in an amount of about 0.05 to about 30 wt % based on the summed weight of the aryl alcohol compound, the aldehyde compound, and the polyol compound.

7. A method of preparing an organic aerogel, comprising

mixing an aryl alcohol compound, an aldehyde compound, and a polyol compound to make a wet gel, and

drying the wet gel.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the polyol compound is represented by the following Chemical Formula 3:

R 9 OH) n9   Chemical Formula 3

wherein, in the above Chemical Formula 3,

R 9 is selected from the group consisting of a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenylene, a substituted or unsubstituted alkynylene, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkylene, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkenylene, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkynylene, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocycloalkylene, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocycloalkenylene, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocycloalkynylene, a substituted or unsubstituted arylene, and a substituted or unsubstituted heteroarylene, and

n9 is an integer ranging from 2 to 10.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the drying a wet gel is preformed using a sol-gel process.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the drying a wet gel comprises a solvent exchange process.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein drying a wet gel is preformed using at least one method selected from supercritical drying, atmospheric pressure drying, lyophilizing drying, and lyophilizing reduced pressure drying.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the mixing is conducted in the presence of an acid catalyst or a base catalyst and an acid catalyst.

13. The aerogel of claim 1 , wherein the aerogel has a specific surface area from about 250 m 2 /g to about 800 m 2 g.

14. The aerogel of claim 1 , wherein the aerogel has a porosity from about 80 vol. % to about 99 vol. %.

15. The aerogel of claim 1 , wherein the aerogel has a pore size from about 1 nm to about 50 nm.

16. The aerogel of claim 1 , wherein the aerogel has a density from about 0.003 g/μm 3 to about 0.35 g/cm 3 .

17. The aerogel of claim 1 , wherein the aerogel has a thermal conductivity of about 24 mW/m·K or less.