Electrospinning Machine | Nacre-Mimetic Multi-Mechanical Synergistic Ceramic Aerogels with Interfacial Bridging and Stress Delocalization

Challenge: Ceramic aerogels integrate lightness, high porosity, and broad temperature stability, making them promising thermal insulation materials, especially suitable for a range of technical applications in aerospace, transportation, and energy. However, traditional ceramic aerogels often have a three-dimensional porous structure resembling a "pearl necklace," with inherent brittleness and poor mechanical strength. 

Method: Professor Si Yang and Researcher Cunyi Zhao from Donghua University adopted a method of systematic construction and structural control, assembling nanofibers and nanosheets into three-dimensional structures with complex geometric control to prepare multi-mechanically synergistic ceramic aerogels. 

Innovation 1: Through the design of a hierarchical multi-arch structure, a binary welding-assembly interface topological interlocking was configured, effectively discretizing concentrated stress, endowing the aerogel with typical compressive resilience, bendability, tensile resistance, high mechanical strength, and flexibility. 

Innovation 2: It exhibits high compressive strength of 317 kPa at 80% deformation, excellent tensile strength of 359 kPa, and excellent flexural strength of 319 kPa, an order of magnitude higher than other reported aerogels. 

Innovation 3: Simultaneously, the flexible aerogel exhibits good thermal resistance and excellent thermal insulation performance (39.72 mW m−1 K−1) over a range of -196 to 1100°C.

 https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202416857