*** 9760847 Huang This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project proposes to develop processing techniques for the synthesis of transition metal carbonitride aerogel materials for energy storage applications. Aerogels are a class of low density foam materials characterized by open cell structures composed of particles usually less than 10 nanometers in diameter with pore sizes usually less than 50 nanometers in diameter. It is well known that nanostructural aerogel materials prepared by the sol-gel process exhibit very high porosity and surface areas. Moreover, pore structures and pore sizes can be tailored with this process. Ultracapacitors are capacitive energy storage devices based on double-layer capacitance. The potential power density and cycle life of electrochemical capacitors are two orders of magnitude higher than those of rechargeable batteries. A wide range of potential applications have been identified. The extremely low density and high surface area metal carbonitride aerogels have potential as electrode materials for long-cycle life, high energy and high power densities ultracapacitors. Potential applications include power sources for automotive subsystems, load leveling for electric vehicles, and power supplies for medical devices and portable electronic equipment. Other potential applications of aerogels include thermal super-insulation, catalysts and catalyst supports, gas filters and gas storage materials, and acoustic insulation. ***
