Advances of Aerogels and Their Polymer Composites

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2022) | Viewed by 8375

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Cybernetics of Chemical Technological Processes, D. Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology, 125047 Moscow, Russia
Interests: polymer aerogel; aerogel with CNT; digital twins of new functional and composite materials; modeling of structures and properties

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Aerogels are gaining increasing interest both for the scientific community and in advanced applications for different fields. The combination of unique properties (high specific surface area, high porosity, low densities) makes aerogels essential for the engineering of high-performance thermal insulation, medical products, gas and liquid sorbents, energy storage, and catalysts. In turn, a wide range of precursors for aerogel synthesis further expands the scope of possible applications. Polymer aerogels, including biopolymer aerogels, are of particular interest.

I am grateful to be a Guest Editor of the Special Issue “Advances of Aerogels and Their Polymer Composites”. The Special Issue is devoted to the recent advances in the synthesis of polymer aerogels and composites based on them; theoretical research of structure formation processes; modeling the structure and properties of polymer aerogels; expansion of applications. In addition, the supercritical drying process is of particular importance for aerogels’ production. This process is also covered in the Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Natalia Menshutina
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • aerogels
  • hybrid aerogels
  • composite aerogels
  • supercritical drying
  • nanostructured materials
  • modeling
  • scale-up

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 22522 KiB  
Article
Constructing Polyimide Aerogels with Carboxyl for CO2 Adsorption
by Yangfeng Gao, Chao Dong, Fan Zhang, Hongwei Ma and Yang Li
Polymers 2022, 14(3), 359; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14030359 - 18 Jan 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2082
Abstract
In this study, mesoporous polyimide aerogels with carboxyl were successfully synthesized by the co-polymerization method at room temperature from pyromellitic dianhydride and 1,3,5-triaminophenoxybenzene, 3,5-diaminobenzoic acid, and 2,2′-dimethyl-4,4′-diaminobiphenyl. Compared to previously reported porous organic polymer materials, this aerogel has the advantage of a simple [...] Read more.
In this study, mesoporous polyimide aerogels with carboxyl were successfully synthesized by the co-polymerization method at room temperature from pyromellitic dianhydride and 1,3,5-triaminophenoxybenzene, 3,5-diaminobenzoic acid, and 2,2′-dimethyl-4,4′-diaminobiphenyl. Compared to previously reported porous organic polymer materials, this aerogel has the advantage of a simple and efficient synthesis method. The thermal decomposition temperatures of the obtained polyimide aerogels are all above 400 °C and have excellent thermal stability. Among them, the largest specific surface area is 62.03 m2/g. Although the surface area of this aerogel is not large enough, it has considerable CO2 adsorption properties. The adsorption capacity of CO2 is up to 11.9 cm3/g, which is comparable to those of previously reported porous materials. The high CO2 adsorption is attributed to the abundance of carboxyl groups in the polyimide networks. The mild and convenient synthesis method and high CO2 adsorption capacity indicate that the polyimide aerogel with carboxyl is suitable as a good candidate material for CO2 adsorption. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances of Aerogels and Their Polymer Composites)
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14 pages, 4151 KiB  
Article
Self-Assembled Behavior of Ultralightweight Aerogel from a Mixture of CNC/CNF from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches
by Dian Burhani, Athanasia Amanda Septevani, Ruby Setiawan, Luthfia Miftahul Djannah, Muhammad Andrew Putra, Sukma Surya Kusumah and Dewi Sondari
Polymers 2021, 13(16), 2649; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13162649 - 10 Aug 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3212
Abstract
This study aims to explore the use of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and cellulose nanofiber (CNF), obtained from unbleached fiber of oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB), as raw materials in fabricating aerogel, using the facile technique without solvent displacement. The CNC was isolated [...] Read more.
This study aims to explore the use of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and cellulose nanofiber (CNF), obtained from unbleached fiber of oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB), as raw materials in fabricating aerogel, using the facile technique without solvent displacement. The CNC was isolated from sulfuric acid hydrolysis, and the CNF was fibrillated using Ultra Turrax. The CNC and CNF were mixed by ultrasonication in different ratios to produce aerogel using slow freezing (−20 °C), followed by freeze-drying. The obtained aerogel was characterized as ultralightweight and highly porous material, at the density range of 0.0227 to 0.0364 g/cm3 and porosity of 98.027 to 98.667%. Interestingly, the ratio of CNC and CNF significantly affected the characteristics of the obtained aerogel. The mixed aerogel exhibited a higher specific surface area than pure CNC or CNF, with the highest value of 202.72 m2/g for the ratio of 1:3 (CNC/CNF). In addition, the crystallinity degree of obtained aerogel showed a higher value in the range of 76.49 to 69.02%, with the highest value being obtained for higher CNC content. This study is expected to provide insight into nanocellulose-based aerogel, with a promising potential for various applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances of Aerogels and Their Polymer Composites)
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20 pages, 21189 KiB  
Article
Cellular Automata Modeling of Three-Dimensional Chitosan-Based Aerogels Fiberous Structures with Bezier Curves
by Igor Lebedev, Daria Lovskaya, Maria Mochalova, Igor Mitrofanov and Natalia Menshutina
Polymers 2021, 13(15), 2511; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13152511 - 30 Jul 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2062
Abstract
In this work, a cellular automata approach was investigated for modeling three-dimensional fibrous nanoporous aerogel structures. A model for the generation of fibrous structures using the Bezier curves is proposed. Experimental chitosan-based aerogel particles were obtained for which analytical studies of the structural [...] Read more.
In this work, a cellular automata approach was investigated for modeling three-dimensional fibrous nanoporous aerogel structures. A model for the generation of fibrous structures using the Bezier curves is proposed. Experimental chitosan-based aerogel particles were obtained for which analytical studies of the structural characteristics were carried out. The data obtained were used to generate digital copies of chitosan-based aerogel structures and to assess the accuracy of the developed model. The obtained digital copies of chitosan-based aerogel structures will be used to create digital copies of aerogel structures with embedded active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and further predict the release of APIs from these structures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances of Aerogels and Their Polymer Composites)
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