Method for sorption and desorption of molecular gas contained by storage sites of nano-filament laded reticulated aerogel

1. A method for forming a nanostructure laded reticulate structure for sorption and desorption of molecular gas, comprising:

polymerizing one or more precursor mixtures to form an aerogel;

supercritically drying said aerogel to remove the liquid components and form a monolith aerogel;

curing said monolith aerogel disposed and sealed into a mold;

carbonizing said monolith aerogel by placing said monolith aerogel in a reducing atmosphere at elevated temperatures;

depositing a catalyst on the carbonized aerogel which bonds to sites available on the aerogel to form catalyst islands;

growing crystalline graphite precursors from said catalyst islands.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said crystalline graphite precursors comprise platelet carbon nano-fibers, cylindrical carbon nanostructures, ribbon carbon nano-fibers, faceted tubular carbon nano-fibers and herringbone carbon nano-fibers.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising introducing a hydrogen gas molecule into a pressure vessel which includes the nanostructure laded reticulate structure at the suitable temperatures and pressures for sorption of the hydrogen gas molecule.

4. A method for forming a nanostructure laded reticulate structure for sorption and desorption of molecular gas, comprising:

combining the sol-gel polymerization of one or more precursor mixtures of organic aerogel precursors, solvent precursors, sol-gel catalyst precursors, metal cation salts and organic acid metal salts/polymer sol-gel of acetates, benzoates, carbonates, chlorides, epoxides, formates, hydroxides, isopropoxides, nitrates and/or oxalates of metal precursors;

casting said sol-gel mixtures into a retort;

curing said sol-gel mixtures;

supercritical drying extraction of liquid from the cured sol-gel mixtures;

reducing and carbonizing said cured sol-gel mixtures in a reducing atmosphere of hydrogen to produce a catalyzed carbon aerogel monolith structure; and

growing graphite nano-filaments on said reticulated catalyzed carbon aerogel monolith structures.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said growing graphite nano-filaments on said reticulated catalyzed carbon aerogel monolith structure comprises:

decomposing an effective amount carbon-containing gas mixed precursors on the catalyzed carbon aerogel structure at elevated temperatures.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said carbon-containing gas mixed precursors comprises at least one of acetylene, benzene, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen and methane.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein said graphite nano-filaments comprises platelet nanostructure, cylindrical nanostructure, ribbon nanostructure, faceted tubular nanostructure and herringbone nanostructure.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein said organic aerogel precursors comprise one of resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF), phenolic-furfural (PF), melamine-formaldehyde, and phenolic-novolak resins.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein said solvent precursors comprise at least one of acetic acid, acetone, butane, butyric acid, ethanol, ethyl ether, formic acid, hexane, isopentane, isopropanol, methanol, n-propanol, pentanoic acid, pentane, 1-propanol and propionic acid.

10. The method of claim 4 , wherein said sol-gel catalyst precursors comprise at least one of sodium carbonate, hydrochloric acid, toluenesulfonic acid, and phosphoric acid.

11. The method of claim 4 , wherein said oxalates of metal precursors comprise at least one of chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, nickel and alloys of said metals.