for
- scalable fabrication technique - sustainable building - insulation - windows - beer hops aerogel
scalable fabrication technique - sustainable building - insulation - windows - beer hops aerogel
- This fabrication process is highly scalable (Fig. 2a–c) and compatible with roll-to-roll processing,
- It combines simple steps:
- Moulding to define the volume of the desired hydrogel,
- Solvent exchanges at modestly elevated temperatures<br />
- Rolling and drying the gels atop plastic support in rolls
- step 1
- Process wood-pulp-derived cellulose nanofibres
- via 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical (TEMPO)-mediated oxidation of native cellulose25,35,36,37
- (Methods and Supplementary Fig. 3).
- This process affects the surface charges associated with the carboxylate anion preclude aggregation25,30 of the nanofibres,
- which form stable aqueous colloidal dispersions at varying concentrations
- step 2
- Pour solution into moulds of desired shapes and sizes
- (Methods and Supplementary Figs. 3 and 4)
- step 3
- Adding acid interlinks these nanofibres by hydrogen bonds between the carboxyl groups,
- transforming the colloidal dispersion into a hydrogel
- (Supplementary Fig. 4b)
- with a network of sparse nanofibres
- step 4
- Exchange the fluid medium within the gel by
- replacing water with isopropanol or ethanol
- (Fig. 2a,b and Supplementary Fig. 4c,d),
- Step 5
- Super critically dry it to form an aerogel
- (Fig. 2c and Supplementary Fig. 5a–d)
