Methods for producing precursor solutions and sol-gels for nano-engineered carbon materials and nano-engineered carbon materials created therefrom

A method for producing a carbon aerogel or a carbon xerogel, comprising:

• producing a mixture comprising water, at least one resorcinol compound, and at least one catalyst;
• heating the mixture to a temperature of about 30° C. to about 99° C. to produce a heated mixture;
• adding at least one cross-linking agent to the heated mixture by an addition method comprising:
• a dividing step, wherein the at least one cross-linking agent is divided into a plurality of batches;
• a mixing step, wherein a solution is produced by adding one of the plurality of batches of the at least one cross-linking agent to the heated mixture;
• a cooling step, wherein the solution is cooled to a temperature of about 30° C. to about 99° C. to produce a final solution;
• and
• a repeating step, wherein the mixing and cooling steps are repeated to produce the final solution, wherein each batch comprises an amount of the at least one cross-linking agent sufficient to prevent the maximum temperature rate increase resulting from the reaction occurring in the mixing step from exceeding 10° C. per minute;
• maintaining the final solution at a temperature of about 45° C. to about 55° C. for about 15 minutes to about 480 minutes;
• and then
• cooling the final solution to a temperature of less than 40° C. to produce a precursor solution, wherein an alcohol is added to the precursor solution at any time during the production of the precursor solution;
• heating the precursor solution to a temperature of about 60° C. to about 99° C. for about 12 hours to about 96 hours to produce a sol-gel;
• and
• subjecting the sol-gel to one or more additional treatments to produce the carbon aerogel or the carbon xerogel, wherein the one or more additional treatments comprise grinding, freeze drying, cryogenic drying, supercritical drying, vacuum drying, evaporation drying, pyrolysis, or any combination thereof.