Ultralight Alumina Nanowire Ceramic Aerogels via Clay‐Like Shaping for Thermal Insulation under Extreme Conditions

ABSTRACT Achieving high‐precision shaping in ceramic aerogels remains a formidable challenge owing to the intrinsic brittleness and weak mechanical strength of ceramics. Herein, aerogels constructed from 1D nanowires are designed, in which dynamic hydrogen bonding enables a clay‐like precursor to be freely shaped into arbitrary geometries. The resulting nest‐like ceramic nanowire aerogels (CNWAs) exhibit enhanced robustness, retaining a compressive strength of 1.2 MPa even after exposure to extreme conditions of 1200°C and −196°C, and showing pronounced resistance to mechanical impact. Moreover, CNWAs achieve a density as low as 0.08 g cm −3 , a thermal conductivity of 0.028 W m −1 K −1 , and excellent high‐temperature resistance up to 1300°C. These superior comprehensive properties stem from the entangled nanowire network, which effectively dissipates both thermal and mechanical stresses. This work provides a generalizable strategy for designing aerogels with complex architectures and outstanding performance, opening new avenues for the development of next‐generation ceramic aerogels.