Flexible and tough zirconia-based nanofibrous membranes for thermal insulation

Ceramic nanofibrous materials with both good flexibility and robust mechanical properties are highly desired for harsh environment applications. Herein, we present ZrO2–SiO2 nanofibrous membranes by combining sol-gel and electrospinning methods and introducing amorphous components into crystalline zirconia. The fluffy stacking morphology structure and the mixture of amorphous SiO2 and crystalline ZrO2 contribute to the excellent mechanical properties with high flexibility, large tensile strain, and significantly improved fracture toughness (0.32 MJ m−3), which is rarely reported in ceramic nanofibrous materials at present. Furthermore, the resulting membranes show good fatigue resistance during 500 buckling cycles and maintain 90% of the original stress. Combined with the high-temperature resistance and low thermal conductivity (0.034 W m−1 K−1), the robust mechanical performances facilitate the ceramic nanofibrous membranes a promising candidate for the applications in harsh environments.