Doctoral Dissertations

Abstract

Aerogels are ultra-lightweight, porous solid materials characterized by a three-dimensional nanostructured network. Owing to their exceptional physical and chemical properties, aerogels have garnered considerable attention within the materials science community and were recognized by IUPAC in 2022 as one of the top ten emerging technologies in chemistry. Although numerous aerogels have been synthesized, only a few have been effectively tailored for specific applications. Optimizing the properties of known aerogels for targeted uses remains challenging. This dissertation investigates strategies for tailoring aerogels derived from isocyanate-benzoxazine, benzodiazine, and phenolic resins to meet the requirements of various advanced applications. The approaches employed include controlled tuning of nanomorphology, pore size, pore volume, surface area, and chemical composition. Key findings are as follows: • Morphological tuning of polyurea and poly(isocyanurate-urethane) aerogels enhanced their performance as drug delivery carriers. • Surface chemistry modification of polybenzoxazine and polybenzodiazine aerogels improved their efficiency in atmospheric water harvesting. • Adjusting the chemical composition and pore size distribution of polyurea-based aerogels yielded hard carbon materials with high electronic conductivity and stable capacity, making them suitable as anodes for sodium-ion batteries.

Advisor(s)

Sotiriou-Leventis, Lia

Committee Member(s)

Grubbs, Garry S.
Winiarz, Jeffrey G.
Nath, Manashi
Huang, Yue-Wern

Department(s)

Chemistry

Degree Name

Ph. D. in Chemistry

Publisher

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Publication Date

Fall 2025

Journal article titles appearing in thesis/dissertation

Paper I, found on pages 13–89, has been published in ACS Applied Polymer Materials.

Paper II, found on pages 90–136, has been submitted to ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces.

Paper III, found on pages 137–174, has been published in ACS Applied Energy Materials.

Pagination

xvi, 182 pages

Note about bibliography

Includes_bibliographical_references_(pages 177-181)

Rights

© 2025 Stephen Yaw Owusu , All Rights Reserved

Document Type

Dissertation - Open Access

File Type

text

Language

English

Thesis Number

T 12576

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