High surface area of carbonaceous Cr2GaC composite microspheres synthesized by sol–gel chemistry

Abstract

MAX phases are widely renowned for incorporating metallic and ceramic properties into a single compound but lack high degrees of porosity. Using a sol–gel chemistry technique, known as a polymer type II complex method, more flexibility of the shape, morphology, microstructure, and porosity is achieved while simultaneously synthesizing the MAX phase. This sol–gel chemistry technique demonstrates a signficant departure from traditional solid state synthetic methods. Temperature profiles in this study allowed insights into the influence of furnace and microwave heating on the resulting products. The carbonaceous Cr₂GaC spheres were identified to exhibit type IV isotherm behavior and a hysteresis type of H2(a). Micropore surface areas ranged from 220–416 m² g⁻¹ and the maximum BET specific surface area was 616 m² g⁻¹.