Synthesis of High-Surface-Area Zirconia Aerogels with a Well-Developed Mesoporous Texture Using CO2 Supercritical Drying

Aging was found to be an important step for obtaining high-surface-area zirconia aerogels prepared by the sol−gel method using zirconium n-propoxide and subsequent supercritical drying with carbon dioxide. A narrow and much sharper pore size distribution of calcined zirconia aerogels could be obtained only after extended aging.