Chinese Academy of Sciences and other scientists won progress in the cooperation of BN in the airgel

Aerogels , known as the changing world of new materials, high porosity, large surface area, low density, good thermal insulation properties and the like excellent in physicochemical properties, the heat insulating / sound / electric, catalyst / drug carrier interstellar dust collection, environmental remediation, energy and sensing and other fields have important applications. However, its own mechanical defects, such strength is weak, brittle, poor deformability drawbacks, in particular the ability to resist the impact of different loads within a wide temperature range, has become one of the most important obstacles in the airgel to obtain practical application. , Chinese Academy of Sciences team of scientists to address the problem – Researchers Suzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics Zhang with the leadership of the airgel teamwork with the German scientist, combining theoretical calculations and experimental design, through component regulatory solvent hydrogen bond network, looking for to a simple, efficient, green synthetic routes successfully prepared with extra flexibility boron nitride nanotube airgel and airgel material achieved over a wide temperature range (-196 ° C ~ 1000 ° C) and different impact loading forms a flexible holder (compression, bending, twisting, shearing, etc.) under. Studies have shown that the boron airgel (hundreds), nanostructured porous tape entangled ultrathin (~ 3.2 nm), large aspect ratio, the overlap is made, showing lightweight (~ 15 mg cm -3), thermal insulation (~ 0.035 W / mK), high specific surface area (920 m2g-1) – and excellent mechanical properties. The airgel multiple cyclic compression, twisting, bending, shear under different loads, the retaining structure can not be destroyed, and can be quickly restored to its original shape. When the airgel is immersed in liquid nitrogen, the compression – rebound performance is still well maintained. Further, when the airgel is placed in a boron nitride alcohol lamp flame or higher than 1000 ° C in a tube furnace (air atmosphere), its mechanical stability is still retained intact flexible, and can withstand the impact of different loads. Boron nitride airgel super flexible display as shown in FIG. The work Boron Nitride Aerogels with Super-Flexibility Ranging from Liquid Nitrogen Temperature to 1000 ° C in the title, published in the international journal \”Advanced Functional Materials\” (Advanced Functional Materials, 2019, 29,1900188) on. FIG: nanoribbons aerogels under liquid nitrogen, flame, high-temperature air atmosphere (> 1000 ° C), subjected to different loads of the flexible deformation – Rebound Behavior