Superstrong Lightweight Aerogel with Supercontinuous Layer by Surface Reaction.

Breaking 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 ZrO nanolayer on ZrO-SiO fiber aerogel surface, which significantly improved its thermal and mechanical properties with density almost unchanged (≈26 mg cm). Systematic structure analysis confirms that the supercontinuous layer achieves a close connection between grains and fibers through Zr─O─Si bonds.

Layered Inorganic Silicate Aerogel Pillared by Nanoclusters for High Temperature Thermal Insulation.

Layered inorganic material, with large-area interlayer surface and interface, provides an essential material platform for constructing new configuration of functional materials. Herein, a layered material pillared with nanoclusters realizing high temperature thermal insulation performance is demonstrated for the first time. Specifically, systematic synchrotron radiation spectroscopy and finite element calculation analysis show that ZrO nanoclusters served as "pillars" to effectively produce porous structures with enough boundary defect while maintaining the layered structure, thereby significantly reducing solid state thermal conductivity (≈0.