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6278675 
Journal Article 
Decoupling microporosity and nitrogen content to optimize CO2 adsorption in melamine–resorcinol–formaldehyde xerogels 
Flannigan, JM; Fletcher, AJ; Murdoch, B; Principe, IA 
2018 
MATERIALS TODAY CHEMISTRY
ISSN: 2468-5194 
Elsevier 
OXFORD 
10 
English 
WOS:000451276400015 
Selected melamine–resorcinol–formaldehyde (MRF) xerogels have been synthesized and analyzed to determine the influence of nitrogen (N) incorporated into the gel structure and resorcinol-to-catalyst (sodium carbonate) and resorcinol-to-formaldehyde molar ratios. The aforementioned factors were varied, and their effect on gel properties was characterized, allowing for a better understanding of how gel characteristics can be tailored and their impact on gel performance. MRF gels, produced in this study, were characterized using volumetric and gravimetric analyses to determine porous structure and quantify CO2 capture capacities and kinetics, allowing determination of heats of adsorption and activation energies for CO2. MRF10_200_0.25 has exhibited the largest CO2 capacity (1.8 mmol/g at 0 °C) of the sample tested. Thermal stability was tested by proximate analysis, and MRF xerogels exhibited high thermal stability; however, it was found that volatile matter increases as [M] increases, particularly for [M] 20%w/w and higher. Working capacity was determined from a series of cycling studies, and capacities of 0.55, 0.58, and 0.56 mmol/g at 60 °C were observed for [M] of 10, 20, and 30%w/w, respectively. The measured heat of adsorption showed that incorporation of nitrogen functionalities results in a low energy penalty, demonstrating that the adsorption mechanism is still driven by physical forces. The results obtained indicate that the family of materials studied here offer potential routes for carbon capture materials, through a combination of micropore structure development and incorporation of favorable Lewis acid–base interactions. 
FTIR; Surface area; Gelation; Boehm titration; Gravimetry 
MATERIALS TODAY CHEMISTRY 
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