Electrospinning Machine | Self-adaptable mechanical ceramic fibrous aerogels from prestressed topology and multistable constraints

Challenge: Ceramic aerogels are widely used as thermal insulation materials, exhibiting remarkable characteristics such as ultra-lightweight and ultra-low thermal conductivity. However, their application is often limited by fragility under repeated dynamic thermal shocks, a challenge that has not been adequately addressed.
Approach: Professor Si Yang's team at Donghua University proposed a multi-component structural engineering method, combining ceramic nanofibers with traditional textile weaving topology to produce mechanically adaptable ceramic fiber aerogels.
Innovation 1: Thanks to the synchronous motion of the porous nanofiber network and the pre-stressed woven topological framework, it can be easily activated to adapt to deformation while effectively dissipating energy. The resulting aerogel exhibits excellent mechanical properties.
Innovation 2: The aerogel demonstrates a tensile strength of 356.6 kPa and a compressive strength of 109.1 kPa, along with outstanding mechanical adaptability to external stimuli. Furthermore, these aerogels achieve a fracture energy of 117.26 kJ m⁻³ and exhibit excellent deformation recovery after 1000 compression or 500 tensile cycles.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62164-4