Flexible Electrospun strawberry-like structure SiO2 aerogel nanofibers for thermal insulation

Herein, a novel flexible SiO2 aerogel composite nanofiber membrane with strawberry-like structure and excellent thermal insulation properties, in which SiO2 aerogel particles act as thermal insulation filler, was prepared by electrospinning technology. With the addition of nano-pore structure SiO2 aerogel particles, the heat transfer path of the fibers inside the membrane became discontinuous, endowing the as-prepared membrane an ultra-low thermal conductivity of 30.3 mW/(m⋅K) and large surface area of 240 m2/g. Moreover, the nanofibers membrane also possesses the combined merits of excellent fire resistance, high-temperature stability, and temperature-invariant flexibility, rendering it a promising in the application of insulation and gas adsorption. The successful preparation of this flexible nanofiber membrane paves a new way to design materials with excellent thermal insulation and adsorption properties.