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Polymer-derived carbon aerogels can be obtained by direct polymerization of monomers under hypersaline conditions using inorganic salts. This allows for significantly increased mechanical robustness and avoiding special drying processes. This concept was realized by conducting the polymerization of phenol-formaldehyde (PF) in the presence of ZnCl2 salt. Afterwards, the simultaneous carbonization and foaming process conveniently converts the PF monolith into a foam-like carbon aerogel. ZnCl2 plays a key role, serving as dehydration agent, foaming agent, and porogen. The carbon aerogels thus obtained are of very low density (25 mg cm−3), high specific surface area (1340 m2 g−1), and have a large micro- and mesopore volume (0.75 cm3 g−1). The carbon aerogels show very promising potential in the separation/extraction of organic pollutants and for energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polymerization of phenol–formaldehyde resin under hypersaline conditions, for example, in the presence of ZnCl2, generates a black monolith. In their Communication on page 14623 ff., N. Fechler, M. Antonietti, S. H. Yu et al. further show that a foam‐like carbon aerogel with good mechanical robustness can be directly obtained from the monolith without any special drying processes. ZnCl2 plays a key role in this process, serving as dehydration agent, foaming agent, and porogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the promising potential of zeolitic imidazole framework-8 (ZIF-8) for dye adsorption, addressing challenges such as aggregation and recycling difficulties remains essential. Herein，a novel three dimensional (3D) carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), graphene oxide (GO) and ZIF-8 hybrid aerogel (CGZ-3) was prepared via blending ZIF-8 into the CMC-GO matrix. The structure and composition of CGZ-3 were characterized by SEM, FT-IR, TG and XPS. Adsorption experiments were conducted to optimize various parameters affecting the behavior of methylene blue (MB) adsorption. The composite aerogel exhibited an obvious lamellar network structure, with a surface rich in oxygen-containing functional groups such as -OH and -COOH. CGZ-3 demonstrated a rapid adsorption rate for MB, achieving a removal efficiency of 96% within 15 minutes. The entire adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic, consistent with the pseudo-first-order kinetic model and Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. The maximum theoretical adsorption capacity was 427.35 mg/g at 298 K. Selective adsorptions tests demonstrated high selectivity of the composite aerogel for MB, and dynamic adsorption further confirmed the exceptional adsorption capacity of CGZ-3. After five cycles of adsorption-desorption, the MB removal rate remained above 95%, with an adsorption capacity exceeding 240 mg/g, highlighting the stability and reusability of CGZ-3. Collectively, the CGZ-3 would be a potential material for the adsorptive removal of MB in practical water treatment. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]