Methods for sol-gel polymerization in absence of solvent and creation of tunable carbon structure from same

1. A method for preparing a polymer, the method comprising physical blending of a solvent-free mixture of solid particles comprising solid polymer precursors by one of ball milling, jet milling, Fritsch milling or planetary milling, and aging the solvent-free mixture at a temperature and for a time sufficient for the one or more polymer precursors to react with each other and form a polymer gel, and wherein the solvent-free mixture comprises less than 1% solvent by weight.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solvent-free mixture comprises less than 0.1% solvent by weight.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature is at or above the glass transition temperature of one or more species of polymer precursor particles.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature is at or above the melting temperature of one or more species of polymer precursor particles.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature is at or above 30 C below the melting temperature of one or more species of polymer precursor particles.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer precursors are selected from an amine-containing compound, an alcohol-containing compound and a carbonyl-containing compound.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer precursors are selected from an alcohol, a phenol compound, a polyalcohol, a sugar, an alkyl amine, an aromatic amine, an aldehyde, a ketone, a carboxylic acid, an ester, melamine, a urea, an acid halide and an isocyanate.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the phenolic compound is phenol, resorcinol, naphthol, bisphenol A, or any combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the sugar is fructose, sucrose, glucose, or any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the carboxylic acid is acetic acid, formic acid, oxalic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, cyanuric acid, or any combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer precursors further comprise hexamethylenetetramine.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the polymer precursors comprise hexamethylenetetramine and bisphenol A present at a mole ratio between 0.05:1 to 5:1.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising pyrolyzing the solvent free polymer gel particles in an inert atmosphere at temperatures ranging from 500° C. to 2400° C. to obtain pyrolyzed porous carbon.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising activating the porous carbon to obtain activated porous carbon by a method comprising contacting the pyrolyzed polymer gel particles with an atmosphere comprising carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, steam, oxygen or combinations thereof at a temperature may ranging from 800° C. to 1300° C.

15. A carbon having a maximum theoretical capacitance of greater than 26 F/cm 3 ,

wherein:

the carbon is formed from a mixture comprising hexamethylenetetramine and bisphenol A, such that a mole ratio of the hexamethylenetetramine to the bisphenol A ranges from 1.63:1 to 5:1;

a pore structure of the carbon comprises at least 97.8% micropores;

nitrogen content of the carbon is 1-8%;

BET surface area of carbon ranges from about 1,500 m 2 /g to about 2,000 m 2 /g; and

the capacitance is measured at a current density of 0.5 Amp/g employing an electrolyte comprising tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate in acetonitrile.

16. The carbon of claim 15 , wherein the maximum theoretical capacitance of greater than 27 F/cm 3 .

17. The carbon of claim 15 , wherein the maximum theoretical capacitance of greater than 28 F/cm 3 .

18. The carbon of claim 15 , wherein the maximum theoretical capacitance of greater than 29 F/cm 3 .

19. An electrode comprising a carbon material according to claim 15 .