A single step solid NH4F-assisted method for the removal of hard silica template to obtain microporous carbon for electrochemical applications

Abstract A new method for removing silica templates to prepare high surface area porous carbons is reported. In this method solid NH4F is used as a sacrificial agent to remove silica as SiF4 in a single step process, thus eliminating the corrosive methods by using HF/NaOH in multi-step processes. This method is versatile to enhance the surface area and porous-network of carbons at higher calcination temperatures. The carbon sample prepared at 900 °C exhibits high surface area (861 m2 g−1) among others and shows specific capacitance of 240F g−1 at current density 0.5 A g−1.