The paper summarises the findings of the most significant studies on the effect that the catalyst has on the formation and properties of organic gels, synthesised via the sol-gel method from resorcinol and formaldehyde. These materials exhibit excellent electrical and mechanical properties, as well as have great specific surface areas, and thus are excellent materials for manufacturing electrodes in a variety of appliances, from rechargeable batteries to supercapacitors. The properties of these gels can be adjusted to meet the desired values, however, they are controlled by a number of factors. The most interesting of these is the catalyst and its role, as it is elusive and has been investigated only by several authors across the globe.

The paper summarises the findings of the most significant studies on the effect that the catalyst has on the formation and properties of organic gels, synthesised via the sol-gel method from resorcinol and formaldehyde. These materials exhibit excellent electrical and mechanical properties, as well as have great specific surface areas, and thus are excellent materials for manufacturing electrodes in a variety of appliances, from rechargeable batteries to supercapacitors. The properties of these gels can be adjusted to meet the desired values, however, they are controlled by a number of factors. The most interesting of these is the catalyst and its role, as it is elusive and has been investigated only by several authors across the globe.