Anisotropic cellulose nanofiber/chitosan aerogel with thermal management and oil absorption properties

Attributed to low cost, renewable, and high availability, cellulose-based aerogels are desirable materials for various applications. However, mechanical robustness and functionalization remain huge challenges. Herein, we synthesized a recoverable, anisotropic cellulose nanofiber (CNF) / chitosan (CS) aerogel via directional freeze casting and chemical cross-link process. The chitosan was performed as strength polymers to prohibits the shrinkage and retains the structural stability of 3D cellulose nanofiber skeleton, endowing the composite aerogel with satisfactory deformation recovery ability (without loss under 60 % stress cycled 100 times). The CNF/CS composite aerogel has ultralow density (∼8.4 mg/cm3), high temperature-invariant (above 300 °C) and high porosity (98 %). The CNF/CS aerogel demonstrates anisotropic thermal insulation properties with low thermal conductivity (28 mWm−1 K−1 in rational direction and 36 mW m−1 K−1 in the axial direction). Moreover, the composite aerogel (water contact angle ∼148°) exhibited outstanding oil/water selectivity and high absorption capacity (82–253 g/g) for various oils and organic solvents. Therefore, the multifunctional CNF/CS composite aerogels are potential materials for thermal management and oil absorption applications.