Superstrong Lightweight Aerogel with Supercontinuous Layer by Surface Reaction
Abstract
AbstractBreaking the thermal, mechanical and lightweight performance limit of aerogels has pivotal significance on thermal protection, new energy utilization, high‐temperature catalysis, structural engineering, and physics, but is severely limited by the serious discrete characteristics between grain boundary and nano‐units interfaces. Herein, a thermodynamically driven surface reaction and confined crystallization process is reported to synthesize a centimeter‐scale supercontinuous ZrO2 nanolayer on ZrO2‐SiO2 fiber aerogel surface, which significantly improved its thermal and mechanical properties with density almost unchanged (≈26 mg cm−3). Systematic structure analysis confirms that the supercontinuous layer achieves a close connection between grains and fibers through Zr─O─Si bonds. The as‐prepared aerogel exhibits record‐breaking specific strength (≈84615 N m kg−1, can support up to ≈227 272 times aerogel mass) and dynamic impact resistance (withstanding impacts up to 500 times aerogel mass and up to 200 cycling stability at 80% strain). Besides, its temperature resistance has also been greatly optimized (400 °C enhancement, stability at 1500 °C). This work will provide a new perspective for exploring the limits of lightweight, high strength, and thermal properties of solid materials.
Article Details
Authors (21)
Tianpei Zhou
Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory Center for Micro and Nanoscale Research and Fabrication Institute of Advanced Technology University of Science and Technology of China Hefei 230026 P. R. China
Linbo He
Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory Center for Micro and Nanoscale Research and Fabrication Institute of Advanced Technology University of Science and Technology of China Hefei 230026 P. R. China
Yu Zhen
Xiaolin Tai
State Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science
Shun Dai
Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory Center for Micro and Nanoscale Research and Fabrication Institute of Advanced Technology University of Science and Technology of China Hefei 230026 P. R. China
Kaijin Wu
Honghe Ding
National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory
Tianpu Xia
Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory Center for Micro and Nanoscale Research and Fabrication Institute of Advanced Technology University of Science and Technology of China Hefei 230026 P. R. China
Xun Zhang
Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
Xueru Cai
Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory Center for Micro and Nanoscale Research and Fabrication Institute of Advanced Technology University of Science and Technology of China Hefei 230026 P. R. China
Fangzhou Jiang
Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale and Department of Physics
Zhiqiang Zhu
State Key Laboratory of Chemo and Biosensing, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
Fangsheng Huang
Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory Center for Micro and Nanoscale Research and Fabrication Institute of Advanced Technology University of Science and Technology of China Hefei 230026 P. R. China
Chen Li
Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
Yaping Li
State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry
Junfa Zhu
National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory
Wangsheng Chu
National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory
Yue Lin
Yong Ni
CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, Department of Modern Mechanics, CAS Center for Excellence in Complex System Mechanics
Yi Xie
Changzheng Wu
State Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science